Journal of Pest Science (2015) 88, 209-218

Nitina Ahuja, Daizy R. Batish, Harminder Pal Singh and Ravinder K. Kohli (2015)
Herbicidal activity of eugenol towards some grassy and broad-leaved weeds
Journal of Pest Science 88 (1), 209-218
Abstract: The present study investigated the phytotoxic potential of eugenol, a major component from the essential oil of clove [Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merrill and Perry], towards four grassy [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv., Phalaris minor Retz., Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. and Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees] and four broad-leaved [Ageratum conyziodes L., Commelina benghalensis L., Cassia occidentalis L. and Bidens pilosa L.] weeds. The effect of eugenol (50–1,000 μM) on the growth and development of seedlings after 7 days of treatment was studied in terms of percent germination, root and shoot length, total chlorophyll content and cellular respiration. Eugenol at 1,000 μM caused 55–70 and 42–90 % decrease in percent germination in grassy and broad-leaved weeds, respectively. Likewise, root length declined by 55–90 and 57–71 %, whereas shoot length was decreased by 50–83 and 36–73 % in grassy and broad-leaved weeds, respectively, in response to 1,000 μM eugenol. The observed reduction in the plant growth was accompanied by a decline in the total chlorophyll content (37–53 %) and cellular respiration (36–57 %) in the test plants. However, the inhibitory effect was stronger towards grassy weeds than towards the broad-leaved ones. Thus, future research can be focused on developing eugenol, a natural plant product, as an environmentally safe herbicide in replacement to the harmful chemical herbicides.
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Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Daizy R. Batish, Harminder P. Singh

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Echinochloa crus-galli (weed)
	Ageratum conyzoides (weed)
	Bidens pilosa (weed)
	Sorghum halepense (weed)
	Phalaris minor (weed)
	Leptochloa chinensis (weed)
	Commelina benghalensis (weed)