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Allelopathic water extracts as natural crop growth promoters

CONFERENCE PAPER FEBRUARY 2013

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3 AUTHORS:
Ali Ahsan Bajwa

Muhammad Farooq

University of Queensland

University of Agriculture Faisalabad

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Zahid Ata Cheema

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ALLELOPATHIC WATER EXTRACTS AS NATURAL CROP GROWTH PROMOTERS

Ali Ahsan Bajwa*, Muhammad Farooq and Zahid Ata Cheema

ABSTRACT
Increasing global population demands high crop production to meet the
food requirements. Sustainable agriculture ensures the food security,
food safety and environmental protection simultaneously. Allelopathy
has been well recognized as a phenomenon offering natural weed control
in agro-ecosystems. Allelochemicals are secondary metabolites having
positive and negative effects on plant growth depending upon their
concentration. These promote the growth at low concentrations; however
suppress the growth if applied at high concentration. Recent research on
promotory allelopathy has shown that water extracts of sorghum,
brassica, sunflower, rice and moringa improve growth of different arable
crops and vegetables, when applied at low concentrations. Such
chemicals at low concentration improve and regulate different
physiological processes like seed germination, root growth, chlorophyll
accumulation, photosynthesis, transpiration, leaf expansion and genetic
encodings and subsequently growth and yield. This review gives a
precise account of growth promotion potential of allelopathic water
extracts, their mode of action and application in crop production. It is
concluded that allelopathy can be employed for crop growth promotion
and yield maximization in modern agriculture avoiding the
environmental hazards of chemical growth regulators.

Allelopathy Lab, Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.

*aliahsan2195@gmail.com
GROWTH PROMOTION POTENTIAL OF PLANT
CROPS WITH PROMOTORY ALLELOCHEMICALS
WATER EXTRACTS
Common Names
Rice

Botanical Names
Oryza sativa L.

Major Allelochemicals

References

Salicylic acid, p-coumaric acid, benzoic

acid
2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4benzoxazin-3-one (DIMBOA),
Hyadroxamic acid, syringic acid

Chung et al., 2002

Netzley and Butler

(1986), Nimbal et al.,
1996
Chon and Kim (2004)

Wheat

Triticum aestivum L.

Sorghum

Sorghum bicolor L.

Sorgoleon, dhurrin, Vanillic acid,

juglone, sorgolactone

Barley

Hordeum vulgare L.

Sunflower

Helianthus annus L.

Caffeic acid, hydrocinnamic acid,

ferulic acid
Chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, syringic Ghafar et al., 2001
acid
Zeatin, ascorbate
Basra et al., 2011

Moringa

Moringa oleifera

Niemeyer (1988), Perez

(1990), Corcuera et al.,
1992, Peters et al., 2003

CHEMICAL STRUCTURES OF SOME IMPORTANT

ALLELOCHEMICALS

INTRODUCTION
Allelopathy is a natural ecological phenomenon in which different
organisms affect the functioning of other organisms in their vicinity,
negatively or positively by releasing secondary metabolites (Farooq et
al., 2011). Allelochemicals affect other plants by different ways
depending upon their concentrations. Due to these varying effects, it has
gain importance as a cultural aspect rather than just ecological regime in
environment (Belz and Hurle, 2005).
All plant parts i.e. roots, shoots, leaves, flowers, stem and buds
contain allelochemicals and release them in their vicinity by different
modes (Weston, 1996). Probably these chemicals are released by
volatilization, decomposition, leaching and root exudation (Rice,
1984).This phenomenon is being used in weed management. It is
pragmatic suitable substitute of synthetic herbicides as allelochemicals
do not have residual or toxic effects (Bhadoria, 2011). Important
secondary metabolites identified as allelochemicals are phenolics,
alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, momilactone, hydroxamic acids,
brassinosteroids, jasmonates, salicylates, glucosinolates, carbohydrates
and amino acids (Kruse et al., 2000; Singh and Usha, 2003; Jabran and
Farooq, 2012).
Allelopathy has two dimensions; inhibitory and promotory.
Allelochemicals released by plants have promotory effects at low
concentrations (Narwal, 1994). Different arable crops have shown good
allelopathic potential and have displayed promising results regarding
their use for weed management. Allelopathic water extracts application
at lower concentrations stimulates germination and growth of different
crops (Cheema et al., 2012).
Growth promotion by low concentrations of secondary metabolites
has been proved by different researchers and different mechanisms have
also been proposed which are responsible for it. But it is very hard to
determine a definite mechanism due to diverse nature and complicated
responses of such chemicals under natural conditions.
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Most of the allelochemicals are water soluble and water is the best
medium and carrier for such chemicals (Farooq et al., 2011; Chon and
Nelson, 2012).
Moringa (Moringa oleifera) leaf extracts were growth and yield (2035%) enhancer in different vegetables and sugarcane, when applied at
diluted (30 times) rates (Foidle et al., 2001).
Very low concentrations of alfalfa leaf extracts were promotory for
alfalfa root growth and proliferation (Chon et al., 2000).
Jahangeer (2011) reported 52, 42 and 42% increase in maize yield
under foliar application of 3% moringa, 3% sorghum and 3% brassica
water extracts, respectively.
Foliar application of 2% brassica, sunflower, moringa and rice water
extracts promoted wheat grain yield significantly (Cheema et al.,
2012).
Foliar application of sorgaab (sorghum extract) has promotory effects
on growth and yield of crops as allelochemicals present in it show
stimulatory behavior at diluted concentrations (Oudhia et al., 1988;
Narwal, 1994).

CONCLUSION AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Scientists have done a lot of work on synthetic plant growth regulators but did
not get much success regarding their adoption in farming community
especially in developing countries like Pakistan. This failure is mainly due to
high prices of such growth promoters. In near future the use of allelopathy for
crop growth promotion will be the most acceptable and applicable option
because of its numerous and long term advantages. Allelopathic water extracts
are cost effective, eco friendly, efficient and safe. They have no negative
impact on environment and are already present at the door step of farmer. In
the long run it can ensure the provision of wholesome and nutritious food
around the clock.

MODE OF ACTION
Benzoic acid

Juglone

Cinnamic acid

Syringic acid

Sorgoleone

Dhurrin

The proposed mechanisms of growth promotion by allelochemicals are

activation of different enzymes, cell division promotion and increase in
ion uptake (Cheema et al., 2012). Allelochemicals at low concentrations
help to induce germination by breaking seed dormancy (Nickell, 1982),
promote root growth by improving moisture availability and temperature
regulation (Mackay and Barber, 1985), enhance mineralization of
nutrients and improve their uptake (Barber, 1984; Harms and Oplinger,
1993). They also induce tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses to
ensure plant defense and survival (Wahid, 2007, Farooq et al., 2010).

Vanillic acid

Zeatin

Schematic representation of mode of action of allelochemicals for growth promotion.

Caffeic acid

DIMBOA

They regulate maturity, senescence (Goldthwaite, 1987) water relations,

translocation of assimilates and quality (Harms and Oplinger, 1993).
They have positive role to play in physiological processes like seed
germination, root growth, chlorophyll accumulation, photosynthesis,
transpiration, leaf expansion, translocation and genetic encodings
(Gamalero and Glick, 2011).

REFERENCES
Cheema, Z.A., M. Farooq and A. Khaliq. 2012. Application of
allelopathy in crop production: success story from Pakistan. In:
Cheema, Z.A., M. Farooq and A. Wahid (Eds.), Allelopathy: Current
Trends and Future Applications. Springer: Verlag Berlin Heidelberg,
pp. 113143.
Chon, S.-U. and C.J. Nelson. 2012. Allelopathic dynamics in resource
plants. In: Cheema, Z.A., M. Farooq and A. Wahid (Eds.),
Allelopathy: Current Trends and Future Applications. Springer:
Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 81110.
Gamalero, E. and B.R. Glick. 2011. Mechanisms Used by Plant
Growth Promoting Bacteria. In: Maheshwari, D.K. (Ed.), Bacteria in
Agrobiology: Plant Nutrient Management, Springer-Verlag Berlin
Heidelberg, pp. 17-46.
Jabran, K. and M. Farooq. 2012. Implications of potential allelopathic
crops in agricultural systems. In: Cheema, Z.A., M. Farooq and A.
Wahid (Eds.), Allelopathy: Current Trends and Future Applications.
Springer: Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 349385.
Netzly, D.H. and L.G. Butler. 1986. Roots of sorghum exude
hydrophobic droplets containing biologically active components.
Crop Sci., 26:775778.
Singh, B. and K. Usha. 2003. Salicylic acid induced physiological and
biochemical changes in wheat seedlings under water stress. Plant
Growth Regul., 39: 137141.
Wahid, A. 2007. Physiological implications of metabolites biosynthesis
in net assimilation and heat stress tolerance of sugarcane
(Saccharum officinarum) sprouts. J. Plant Res., 120: 219-228.