Research article ALLELOPATHIC EFFECTS OF EXTRACTS FROM TWO GROWTH STAGES OF WHEAT ON WILD MUSTARD GERMINATION CHARACTERISTICS

A laboratory experiment was conducted to investigate the allelopathic effects of wheat extracts from two growth stages on germination indices of wild mustard, a common weed in agricultural lands. The experimental design was completely randomized with five wheat water extract concentrations (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%), two growth stages of wheat (flowering and maturity) and three replications. The results showed that wheat plant extracts from both growth stages had significant allelopathic effects on germination indices of wild mustard. The extracts from flowering stage had more significant effects on suppressing the germination characteristics of wild mustard than maturity stage. In general, all concentrations had inhibitory effects on germination indices, however, there was no significant differences between 50% up to 100% concentrations. The results indicate that utilization of allelopathic behavior of wheat extract is an effective method for biological control of wild mustard.