The Allelopathic Effect Of The Mentha Longifolia Aqueous Extract On The Germination And Growth Of Cicer Arietinum L

Abstract

In this study an experimental investigation has been conducted at the Diyala University / Biology department laboratories to investigate the allelopathic effect of the Mentha longifolia cold aqueous extract on the germination and grow of the Cicer arietinum L. plant. The study was performed according to the Completely Randomized Design (C.R.D) with three replications. The Cicer arietinum L seeds were first sterilized with sodium hypochlorite solution (1%), before they were planted in Petri dishes, and soaked in different concentration of the Mentha longifolia aqueous extract (0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 g/l). Special detection methods were used to detect the secondary metabolic compounds, such as alkaloids, phenols and tannins, in the Mentha longifolia extract. The results revealed reduction in all of the Cicer arietinum L. considered properties due to the treatment with the Mentha longifolia aqueous extract. The reduction is significant at higher Mentha longifolia extract concentration; maximum reduction, in most of the considered properties, was reported when the concentration was 1.5 g/l. However, the reduction was not significant in all of the investigated properties except the dry weight of the radicle. This property showed maximum reduction at 1.5 g/l concentration, which represents the lowest average (0.0086 g) compared to the control treatments that demonstrated average minimum reduction of 0.0159 g.