Effect of leaf aqueous extract and leaf litter of chinaberry tree as transient allelopathic influence on growth and yield of chilli and tomato

Abstract

Through gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS), we detected many compounds in leaf litter of Melia azedarach which are phenolic acids and their derivatives, alkaloids, methyl ketones (volatile allelochemical), unsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acid, benzofuran, propargyl acid, benzoxepine, Fluorobenzoic acid, silicyclobutane, palmitic acid. The leaf aqueous extract and leaf litter inhibited the germination, germination rate index (GRI), initial growth, and biomass of Chilli and Tomato. However, the results of pot experiment carried out till maturity of test crops showed that there was no significant allelopathic effects of leaf litter on growth, biomass and fruit yield of both the test crops. The allelochemicals inhibited the germination, initial growth and biomass of chilli and tomato in petridish bioassay and pot experiments. However, in pot experiments conducted up to maturity of test crops, the effect of allelochemicals might have diluted through cultural practices like regular watering. The detected allelochemicals are ephemeral in nature hence; there was no allelopathic effect of leaf litter of M. azedarach on growth, biomass and fruit yield of chilli and tomato. It is evident from these results that chilli and tomato can be successfully cultivated under canopy of chinaberry without any deleterious effect.