Reducing Herbicide Dependency: Impact of Murraya koenigii Leaf Extract on Weed Control and Growth of Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) and Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum )

Deepti Singh Vashishth, Archana Bachheti (), Rakesh Kumar Bachheti, Sadeq K. Alhag, Laila A. Al-Shuraym, Pankaj Kumar and Azamal Husen
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Deepti Singh Vashishth: Department of Environment Science, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun 248002, India
Archana Bachheti: Department of Environment Science, Graphic Era (Deemed to be University), Dehradun 248002, India
Rakesh Kumar Bachheti: Bio-Process and Biotechnology Centre of Excellence, College of Applied Sciences, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa P.O. Box 16417, Ethiopia
Sadeq K. Alhag: Biology Department, College of Science and Arts, King Khalid University, Muhayl Asser 61913, Saudi Arabia
Laila A. Al-Shuraym: Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
Pankaj Kumar: Agro-Ecology and Pollution Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology and Environmental Science, Gurukula Kangri (Deemed to Be University), Haridwar 249404, India
Azamal Husen: School of Public Health, Wolaita Sodo University, Wolaita P.O. Box 138, Ethiopia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of Murraya koenigii (curry leaf) aqueous extract on the seed germination and growth of two crops and their associated weeds ( Anagallis arvensis , Poa annua , Lepidium didymum , and Vicia sativa ). Wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) and Chickpea ( Cicer arietinum ) seeds were soaked in solutions containing 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10% concentrations of aqueous extracts of M. koenigii leaves, while distilled water was used as a control. Higher concentrations of the extract significantly increased the percentage of germination inhibition and decreased the radicle length and plumule length of both crops compared to the control. It was interesting to find that the pot-based experiment had no influence on the shoot length, plant dry mass, chlorophyll, carotenoid, proline, or protein content, stomatal conductance, or photosynthetic and transpiration rate in either crop. Similarly, in comparison to the control, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (peroxidase (PER), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT)) had no significant influence. Soil physiochemical parameters and weed shoot growth were also investigated. In a Petri plate experiment, 6, 8, and 10% concentrations inhibited germination of both crops. In comparison, in the pot experiment, the growth of both crops was significant at lower concentrations, and 1% aqueous extract of M. koenigii was reported to be lethal to weeds without affecting the soil physiochemical properties. Based on the results of this study, it can be inferred that the reduced germination rate of the tested species after treatment with the extract could be attributed to damage caused by the extracts to the membrane system of the seed. This study concluded that an aqueous leaf extract of M. koenigii can inhibit the growth of weeds without affecting the germination, growth, photosynthetic, and biochemical properties of C. arietinum and T. aestivum or the physiochemical properties of soil; thus, it may be a potential candidate for the development of new bioherbicides.

Keywords: allelopathy; biochemical; bioherbicides; chlorophyll; germination; pesticides overuse; weeds (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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