Abstract:
P. juliflora is known to interfere with the growth of plants growing in its vicinity by the
release of allelochemicals during the decomposition of its litter. An attempt was made to
determine the effects of different concentrations (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) of P. juliflora
hexane and ethanol leaf extracts on seedling growth, yield and yield components of B.
carinata. Soil seedbed and extracts were also prepared from soils sampled from different sites
of distance gradient from P. juliflora to evaluate the same paramaters under laboratory
conditions. Soil has also sampled from different sites in distance gradient from P. juliflora to
grow B. carinata in pots in greenhouse. P. juliflora leaf extracts obtained by the two solvents
significantly inhibited seed germination and seedling growth in a concentration dependent
manner (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%). Soil toxicity test conducted through soil-bed growth
and soil extract treatment did not have any negative impact on measured
parameter(germination percentage, radicle length, plumule length, shoot length and root
length, whereas cultivation of B. carinata on soils obtained from different points in distance
gradient from P. juliflora showed significant difference among sampling points(Beneath,
edge, 1m and 2m). That is, germination, growth, yield parameters and yield found to increase
when cultivated on soil samples away from P. juliflora invaded area. Generally, the results
revealed that allelochemicals from P. juliflora are toxic to B. carinata that care must be taken when cultivating it around P. juliflora.
