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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (9): 65-77.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024378

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Allelopathic effects of cabbage leaf on germination and seedling stages of three crops

Cong ZHAO1,2,3,4(), Wen-hui WU5, Juan-ling WANG2(), Gai-mei LIANG1,2,3,4,5(), Na-na LI1,2,3,4,5, Xue-fang HUANG1,2,3,4   

  1. 1.Shanxi Institute of Organic Dryland Farming,Shanxi Agricultural University,Taiyuan 030031,China
    2.Key Laboratory of Sustainable Dryland Agriculture (Co-construction by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and Shanxi Province),Taiyuan 030031,China
    3.Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Sustainable Dryland Agriculture,Taiyuan 030031,China
    4.National Agricultural Environment Observation and Experimental Station in Jinzhong,Taiyuan 030031,China
    5.College of Agronomy,Shanxi Agricultural University,Taiyuan 030031,China
  • Received:2024-09-27 Revised:2024-10-31 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-07-02
  • Contact: Juan-ling WANG,Gai-mei LIANG

Abstract:

This research investigated, using petri dish filter paper and pot culture methods, the allelopathic effects and their physiological mechanisms of water extract of air-dried leaves of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) on seed germination, seedling growth and physiological traits of three crops commonly cultivated in cold and arid areas of Shanxi Province: cocozelle (Cucurbita pepo), kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and maize (Zea mays). It was found that tested concentrations of water extract of cabbage leaves had a significant inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling growth of the three tested crops (P<0.05), and the inhibitory effect increased with an increase in concentration. The inhibitory effect on radicle elongation of cocozelle and corn was stronger than that on germ elongation at the same concentration, while the inhibitory effect on radicle elongation of kidney bean was smaller than that on germination elongation at a cabbage leaf water extract concentration of 0.04 g·mL-1. The malondialdehyde content of kidney bean and corn seedlings after allelochemical treatments was higher than that of the controls. At cabbage leaf water extract concentrations of 0.06 and 0.08 g·mL-1, the antioxidase enzyme activities of test crop seedlings were enhanced, including SOD, POD and CAT. In multivariate analysis of the data, the allelopathic inhibitory effect of cabbage leaf extract on the three test crops ranked as cocozelle>corn>kidney bean. The differences in the inhibitory effect were related to the changes in malondialdehyde content and antioxidant enzyme activity in vivo. Therefore, planting kidney bean after cabbage may be one method to alleviate the negative effect of the stubble on the following crop. It is recommended that the aboveground parts should be completely removed during cabbage harvesting to avoid allelopathic substances accumulating in the soil and affecting the growth of the next crop.

Key words: Brassica oleracea var. capitata, water extract, allelopathic effect, malondialdehyde, antioxidant enzyme