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Soil microorganisms alleviate the allelopathic effect of Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla leachates on Brassica chinensis

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Abstract

Soil microbes may be critical players in determining the allelopathic potential of some plants. Low levels of plant community biodiversity in Eucalyptus plantations have been attributed to the allelopathic potential of these tree species. The role of soil microbes in the allelopathic effect of leaf leachates of the hybrid tree Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla, was tested in Petri dish assays with Brassica chinensis as a receiver plant. Soils were collected from either a local garden (soil A) or a Eucalyptus plantation (soil B) and half of each soil was sterilized to remove microbes. These soils were then treated with E. grandis × E. urophylla leachates for 0–72 h. Seed germination of B. chinensis was significantly inhibited in soils treated with leaf leachates relative to untreated soils. The inhibitory effect of the leaf leachates was more pronounced in sterilized soils. Total phenolic content was obvious lower in nonsterile leachate-treated soils than in sterile soils. Biomass of B. chinensis was negatively correlated with the total phenolic content in soils. Our findings suggest that soil microbes can alleviate the allelopathic potential of Eucalyptus and thereby its negative impact on plant growth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Agricultural Environment in South China, The Ministry of Agricultural, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, People’s Republic of China

    Fenglai Lu, Rensen Zeng & Huashou Li

  2. Guangxi Key Laboratory of Functional Phytochemicals Research and Utilization, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 85, Yanshan Road, Yanshan District, Guilin, 541006, People’s Republic of China

    Fenglai Lu, Lilang Zheng, Yueyuan Chen & Dianpeng Li

  3. College of Life Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, People’s Republic of China

    Rensen Zeng

Authors
  1. Fenglai Lu
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  2. Lilang Zheng
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  3. Yueyuan Chen
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  4. Dianpeng Li
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  5. Rensen Zeng
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  6. Huashou Li
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Correspondence to Huashou Li.

Additional information

Project funding: This study is supported by the Sci-technology program of Guangxi Province (No. Guikezhong 1347001).

The online version is available at http:// www.springerlink.com

Corresponding editor: Zhu Hong

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Lu, F., Zheng, L., Chen, Y. et al. Soil microorganisms alleviate the allelopathic effect of Eucalyptus grandis × E. urophylla leachates on Brassica chinensis . J. For. Res. 28, 1203–1207 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0379-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-017-0379-6

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