Allelopathic potential of fodder galega at different growth stages

Abstract

Fodder galega is a forage legume which effectively competes with weeds, perhaps allelopathy contributes to this interference with neighbours. Aqueous extracts of shoots and roots of fodder galega were prepared from different growth stages and assayed on rape germination. Concentration of total phenolic compounds in aqueous extracts was also measured. Extracts of shoots of fodder galega were more suppressive to germination than root extracts. Maximum allelopathic potential of shoots was found at flowering stage. Concentration of phenolic compounds in extracts of shoots was higher than in root extracts. Maximum concentrations of phenolic compounds were found in shoots at budding and flowering stages. Our results suggested that shoots of fodder galega are the main source of its allelochemicals, specially at flowering stage. These allelochemicals may be phenolic compounds but other metabolites may also participate.