Research Article

Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds

Volume: 66 Number: 1 March 31, 2026
TR EN

Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds

Abstract

Weeds can limit the reproductive and survival traits of cultivated plants either directly or indirectly. Direct effects involve factors such as light, nutrients, water, and space, while indirect effects primarily involve allelopathy. Seed germination is one of the most crucial stages in the life cycle of all plants. Allelopathic effects are one of the significant factors influencing seed germination. Allelopathy occurs through allelochemicals, which are biochemical substances released by one plant that affect the growth of other plants. This study aimed to observe allelopathic effects and determine which weed species have a greater impact on the germination of a selected crop plant. Samples of Amaranthus retroflexus L., Sinapis arvensis L., and Diplotaxis tenuifolia (L.) DC were collected, dried, and ground into small pieces, which were then mixed in distilled water for 24 hours. The mixture was centrifuged, filtered using Whatman filter paper, and the extracts were obtained. The extracts were prepared at concentrations of 12.5%, 25%, 50%, and 100%.These extracts were applied at 6 ml per petri dish containing 10 lettuce seeds each. The petri dishes were kept in an incubator for 6 days at 18°C, with 70% humidity, and under a 16-hour light and 8-hour dark cycle. The effects of the various weed extracts on seed germination count and seedling length were observed and compared with control samples.The results indicated that Amaranthus retroflexus did not have a critical level of allelopathic effect, while Diplotaxis tenuifolia and Sinapis arvensis exhibited significant allelopathic abilities that were of critical importance.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Plant Protection Central Research Institute

Ethical Statement

This study did not involve any human participants or animal subjects. All laboratory procedures were conducted in accordance with institutional and national ethical standards. No specific permissions were required for the use of plant materials, and the research did not involve any endangered or protected species. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Thanks

The authors would like to thank the Plant Protection Central Research Institute for providing the necessary infrastructure and research facilities for this study.

References

  1. Akın B., Akanıl Bingöl N., Leblebici S., 2017. Allelopathic effect of Lythrum salicaria L. extracts on germination and seedling growth of lettuce seeds. Akademia Disiplinlerarası Bilimsel Araştırmalar Dergisi, 3 (1), 23–30.
  2. Akın B., Bingöl N., Leblebici S., 2019. Allelopathic effects of different temperatures and concentrations of Lythrum salicaria L. extracts on lettuce seed germination. Avrupa Bilim ve Teknoloji Dergisi, 17, 290–296.
  3. Alam S.M., Islam E., 2002. Effects of aqueous extract of leaf, stem and root of nettleleaf goosefoot and NaCl on germination and seedling growth of rice. Pakistan Journal of Seed Technology, 1, 47–52.
  4. Al-Qudah M.A., Al-Jaber H.I., Muhaidat R., Hussein E.I., Hamid A.A., Al-Smadi M.L., Abu-Orabi S.T., 2011. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil from Sinapis alba L. and Sinapis arvensis L. (Brassicaceae) growing wild in Jordan. Natural Product Research, 25 (15), 1481–1490.
  5. Başaran F., 2022. Weed–crop interaction: competition. Journal of Sustainable Environment, 2 (1), 9–18.
  6. Baziar M.R., Farahvash F., Mirshekari B., Rashidi V., 2014. Allelopathic effect of ryegrass (Lolium persicum) and wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis) on barley. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 46 (6), 2069–2075.
  7. Bendimerad N., Bendiab S.A.T., Breme K., Fernandez X., 2007. Essential oil composition of aerial parts of Sinapis arvensis L. from Algeria. Journal of Essential Oil Research, 19 (3), 206–208.
  8. Bingöl Ö., Battal A., Erez M.E., Aslan A., 2022. Investigation of the allelopathic effects of lyophilized ethanol extract of Xanthoparmelia somloensis (Gyelnik) Hale lichen on tomato plant. Anatolian Journal of Botany, 6 (1), 39–43.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Herbology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 31, 2026

Submission Date

April 7, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 66 Number: 1

APA
Kosdak, M. A., Güzel, O., Bandyopadhyay, K., Ulusoy, A. N., & Budak, İ. (2026). Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds. Plant Protection Bulletin, 66(1), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.16955/bitkorb.1671101
AMA
1.Kosdak MA, Güzel O, Bandyopadhyay K, Ulusoy AN, Budak İ. Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds. Plant Protection Bulletin. 2026;66(1):17-25. doi:10.16955/bitkorb.1671101
Chicago
Kosdak, Mehmet Ali, Okan Güzel, Kathan Bandyopadhyay, Ayşe Nur Ulusoy, and İstem Budak. 2026. “Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.) Seeds”. Plant Protection Bulletin 66 (1): 17-25. https://doi.org/10.16955/bitkorb.1671101.
EndNote
Kosdak MA, Güzel O, Bandyopadhyay K, Ulusoy AN, Budak İ (March 1, 2026) Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds. Plant Protection Bulletin 66 1 17–25.
IEEE
[1]M. A. Kosdak, O. Güzel, K. Bandyopadhyay, A. N. Ulusoy, and İ. Budak, “Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds”, Plant Protection Bulletin, vol. 66, no. 1, pp. 17–25, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.16955/bitkorb.1671101.
ISNAD
Kosdak, Mehmet Ali - Güzel, Okan - Bandyopadhyay, Kathan - Ulusoy, Ayşe Nur - Budak, İstem. “Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.) Seeds”. Plant Protection Bulletin 66/1 (March 1, 2026): 17-25. https://doi.org/10.16955/bitkorb.1671101.
JAMA
1.Kosdak MA, Güzel O, Bandyopadhyay K, Ulusoy AN, Budak İ. Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds. Plant Protection Bulletin. 2026;66:17–25.
MLA
Kosdak, Mehmet Ali, et al. “Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L.) Seeds”. Plant Protection Bulletin, vol. 66, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 17-25, doi:10.16955/bitkorb.1671101.
Vancouver
1.Mehmet Ali Kosdak, Okan Güzel, Kathan Bandyopadhyay, Ayşe Nur Ulusoy, İstem Budak. Allelopathic Effect of Some Weeds on Germination of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Seeds. Plant Protection Bulletin. 2026 Mar. 1;66(1):17-25. doi:10.16955/bitkorb.1671101

136481365013649589c73e2330bd.jpg