SURVEY THE ALLELOPATHIC EFFECTS OF TOBACCO (NICOTIANA TABACUM L.) ON CORN (ZEA MAYS L.) GROWTH AND GERMINATION

Abstract

1 Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran 2 Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China 3 Nitrogen Fixation Laboratory, Qi Institute, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, China ABSTRACT. Allelopathy is the direct influence of chemical released from one plant on the development and growth of another plant. The trial accomplished in seed technology laboratory of Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, in 2018. A factorial layout within completely randomized design with four replications was used. Treatments included plant organs extract (leaf, stem, root and total plant), and different tobacco extract densities includes four levels of 0%, 25%, 50% and 100%. Control treatment (0% of tobacco extract) had obtained the highest value of germination rate, germination percentage, coleoptile weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptile length. The maximum germination rate, germination percentage, coleoptiles weight, radicle weight, radicle length and coleoptiles length was related to extract of stem extract which had meaningful differences with other treatments. Both radicle and coleoptile length decreased with increase in concentration of tobacco extract. Tobacco extract has negatively effects on corn seeds by decreasing the germination rate. Tobacco may increase the presence of secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, all of which may have different effects on seed germination percentage. The highest germination percentage (91.91%), coleoptile weight (0.046 mg), radicle weight (0.0161 mg), radicle length (7.24 mm), and coleoptiles length (6.45 mm) was related to interaction between control treatment (0% of extract) and stem extract. It is concluded that the extract of Nicotiana tabacum had both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on seedling growth of Zea mays.