Investigation of the allelopathic potential of alcoholic extract of the medicinal plant Glycyrrhiza glabra L. on germination and growth parameters Carthamus tinctorius L. and Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) P. Beauv.

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Crop Physiology, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran.

2 Associate professor, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran

3 Associate professor, Department of Plant Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous,

10.22124/jms.2026.10034

Abstract

To achieve the goals of sustainable agriculture, particularly in addressing the challenges associated with the excessive use of herbicides and their adverse effects on human health and the environment, the adoption of non-chemical approaches for weed control and management has become increasingly important. One such method is the use of the allelopathic properties of plants. This study was conducted to investigate the allelopathic effects of the medicinal plant licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) on the growth and germination parameters of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) plant and Cockspur grass (Echinochloa crus-galli) weed in two separate sections (laboratory and the greenhouse). The experiments were conducted based on a completely randomized design with three replications and randomized complete block design with four replications, respectively at the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Gonbad Kavous University - during 2025. The experimental treatments consisted of alcoholic extracts of licorice root and leaf at concentrations of 100, 500, and 1000 ppm, along with distilled water as the control. The results under laboratory conditions showed that with increasing concentrations of alcoholic root and leaf extracts of G. glabra, germination, growth traits, and total chlorophyll content of both C. tinctorius plant and E. crus-galli weed decreased significantly. The highest and lowest inhibition rates among the different extract concentrations and plant organs were observed in the 1000 ppm of root extract and 100 ppm of leaf extract treatments, respectively. The 1000 ppm concentration of alcoholic extract of G. glabra decreased the germination percentage and rate in C. tinctorius plant (38.17 and 65.95 percent) and in E. crus-galli weed (49.90 and 77.70 percent), respectively, compared to the control. Also, the highest inhibition rates of seedling length and seed germination index in C. tinctorius plant (38.56 and 61.94 percent) and in E. crus-galli weed (81.20 and 90.38 percent) respectively, compared to the control was related to G. glabra root extract at a concentration of 1000 ppm. The results of the greenhouse experiment showed that with increasing concentration of alcoholic extract in G. glabra root and leaf, the shoot length and leaf area of ​​both plants were significantly reduced. However, the sensitivity of E. crus-galli weed was higher than that of the C. tinctorius plant, so that at a concentration of 1000 ppm of root extract, the shoot length and leaf area of ​​ E. crus-galli weed were reduced by 63.21 and 58.85 percent, respectively, compared to the control. Overall, Echinochloa crus-galli exhibited greater sensitivity to the allelopathic effects of alcoholic extracts of Glycyrrhiza glabra than Carthamus tinctorius. The root extract showed stronger inhibitory effects than the leaf extract, suggesting that the alcoholic root extract of G. glabra has the potential to suppress the germination and early growth of E. crus-galli in a cost-effective manner. However, further detailed studies on other weed species are required before this strategy can be recommended for practical application.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Journal of Seed Sciences and Research
Volume 13, Issue 1
April 2026
Pages 33-52

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