Bio-herbicide potential of naturalised Desmodium uncinatum crude leaf extract against the invasive plant species Parthenium hysterophorus

dc.creatorOjija, Frederick
dc.creatorArnold, Sarah
dc.creatorTreydte, Anna
dc.date2020-03-04T09:51:55Z
dc.date2020-03-04T09:51:55Z
dc.date2019-08-16
dc.date.accessioned2022-10-25T09:20:36Z
dc.date.available2022-10-25T09:20:36Z
dc.descriptionThis research article published by Springer Nature Switzerland AG, 2019
dc.descriptionThe exotic plant Parthenium hysterophorus is rapidly invading ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa, with negative effects on the environment, economy and human and animal health. With the exception of some synthetic herbicides, none of the available management methods have been effective against P. hysterophorus, and carry risks to the environment. Therefore, additional management methods must be explored for an effective integrated approach. Despite the fact that bio-herbicides are considered cost-effective and eco-friendly in mitigating biological invasions, little work has been done to utilize them for controlling P. hysterophorus. We investigated allelopathic effects and, thus, bio-herbicide potential of naturalised Desmodium uncinatum leaf (DuL) crude extract in various concentrations to control P. hysterophorus. Our results revealed that DuL crude extract can suppress P. hysterophorus, particularly at higher concentrations. The 75% and 100% DuL crude extract concentrations reduced the total leaf chlorophyll content by 26% and 22% in pots and plots, respectively. Further, these higher concentrations inhibited P. hysterophorus seed germination by 73% in petri dishes, 60% in pots, and 57% in plots, and negatively interfered with seedling growth vigour. Seedling stem heights under 75% and 100% DuL concentrations in pot and plot experiments was about 30% and 36% shorter than those sprayed with lower concentrations (< 70%) and the control, respectively. We show that naturalised plants with allelochemicals can be used as a management tool for controlling P. hysterophorus infestations in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Tanzania, and this method should become part of an integrated control toolkit being deployed in a community-based approach.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttp://dspace.nm-aist.ac.tz/handle/123456789/595
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/95083
dc.languageen
dc.publisherSpringer Nature Switzerland AG
dc.subjectBio-herbicide
dc.subjectExotic invasive
dc.subjectPot experiment
dc.titleBio-herbicide potential of naturalised Desmodium uncinatum crude leaf extract against the invasive plant species Parthenium hysterophorus
dc.typeArticle

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