Effects of Phyllodes Extracts of Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth. on Selected Weeds and Crop Species; Insight Towards a Bioherbicide Development

Abstract

Acacia auriculiformis is an introduced/non-native plant species has caused deleterious effects on biodiversity; become one of the most noxious plant species in Sri Lanka. The study was aimed to investigate the phytotoxic effects of phyllodes of A. auriculiformis on two weed species; Tridax procumbens (dicot) and Echinochloa glabrescens (monocot) and two crop species; Oryza sativa (AT–56) and Vigna radiata. Pot experiments were carried-out in triplicates, utilizing ambient water (experiment-1) and boiled water (experiment-2) extracts of phyllodes of A. auriculiformis to determine its effects; both concentration (0-control,0.5%,1% and 5% w/v) and the age (extracts were kept for 1,7,14,21 and 28-days, in experiment-1) on germination (12-healthy seeds per replicate) and growth (5-seedlings per replicate) of selected weeds and crop species over two weeks. Generalized Linear Model (GLZ) and two-way ANOVA tests were used to analyze germination and growth data, respectively.