Sorghum halepense is an invasive weed with a high capacity to compete with both plants in agroecosystems and those present in ecosystems, often becoming dominant. This species manages to be present on extensive surfaces due to its high reproductive capacity, but also to the content of allelochemical substances, which inhibit the germination and growth of cultivated plants and those of the segetal flora. The present study aimed to evaluate Sorghum halepense extracts on maize seed germination. The influence of Sorghum halepense extracts on the germination of corn plants was tested at the "King Mihai I" University of Life Sciences in Timișoara, in the Phytosanitary Protection and Expertise laboratory, in 2021. Treatments included T1 control (distilled water); T2: aqueous extract of fresh Sorghum halepense 5%; T3: aqueous extract of fresh Sorghum halepense 15%; T4: aqueous extract of fresh Sorghum halepense 25%; T5: aqueous extract of dry Sorghum halepense 5%; T6: aqueous extract of dried Sorghum halepense 15%; T7: aqueous extract of dried Sorghum halepense 25%. After applying the treatments, the following were determined: germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), mean germination time (MGT), germination speed (GS) and coefficient of velocity of germination (CVG). EASF and EASD extracts, regardless of the concentration used, managed to exert a negative influence towards all parameters studied, namely: germination percentage, germination index, germination speed and germination speed coefficient. The study carried out allowed us to observe that the influence of the extracts towards corn plants, although negative, their impact is different, depending on the formulation of the plant material and the concentration used.

Sorghum halepense, aqueous extract, germination, maize

agronomy

Presentation: poster