Summary
Field, glasshouse and laboratory studies were conducted to examine the degree of phytotoxicity and any differential phytotoxicity among residues of the genus Brassica usingTriticum aestivum as the test species. Compared to water controls, aqueous extracts of thirteen Brassica residues from six species ranged in inhibition from 56.7% to 91.4% for coleoptile growth and 59.1% to 97.8% for root growth. Based on the aqueous extract screening, six cultivars representing four species were used in a field experiment which showed significant differences among cultivars and species. All residues reduced grain yield, plant dry weight, plant height and tiller production in wheat. Increasing levels of inhibition occurred fromB. campestris cv. Torch,B. juncea cv. Zem 1,B. napus cv. Wesroona,B. nigra cv. Vince,B. juncea cvs. Lethbridge 22A and Zem 2. There are significant positive correlations for the ranked cultivars among the parameters measured in each trial and among trials. Laboratory studies indicated that field residues, stored dry, became less toxic over time and that increasing humidity appeared to increase the rate of decay of activity.
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Mason-Sedun, W., Jessop, R.S. & Lovett, J.V. Differential phytotoxicity among species and cultivars of the genusBrassica to wheat. Plant Soil 93, 3–16 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02377141
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02377141