Allelopathic Performance of Medicinal Plants on Traditional Oilseed and Pulse Crop of Central Himalaya, India

Abstract

The present study was aimed to determine the allelopathic effect of aqueous extract of above ground (AG) and below ground (BG) part of four medicinal plants (MAPs) viz., Picrorhiza kurroa, Asperagus racemosus, Ocimum sanctum and Valeriana wallichii on germination and seedling growth of some traditional food and oilseed crops. The aqueous extract of AG and BG part of the studied MAPs at 2 % significantly reduced the germination, plumule and radicle growth of the selected pulse and oil seed crops in bioassays. The results of the present experiments revealed that MAPs have inhibitory effect on food and oilseed crops owing an occurrence of allelochemicals.