ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF Sorghum bicolor AND Digitaria insularis ON GERMINATION AND INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF CANOLA

Abstract

Agriculture depends on biotic and abiotic factors, and one of them is allelopathy, defined as the chemical interference that one plant has on others, which can negatively affect germination. The objective of this work is to evaluate the allelopathic effects of Sorghum bicolor and Digitaria insularis on seed germination and initial development of canola seedlings (Brassica napus L.). A completely randomized design was used in a 2x5 factorial scheme (two extracts: D. insularis and S. bicolor) and five concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%), with four replicates of fifty seeds, the plot being constituted by a 'gerbox' box containing 50 seeds evenly distributed. The variable analyzed were germination percentage (G), abnormal seedlings (AS), dead seeds (DS), length of the shoot (SL) and primary root (RL), total length (TL) of the seedling, shoot ratio (S/T), and root ratio (R/T). The aqueous extracts of D. insularis interfere in all variables studied, which compromises the formation of normal seedlings, regardless of concentration. The extract of S. bicolor expressed allelopathic effects only in concentrations above 75%. Both species can inhibit the initial development of canola plants.