VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF NIGER (GUIZOTIA ABYSSINICA) TO LEAF-LITTER DUST OF LANTANA CAMARA

Abstract

Experiments were conducted to identify the allelopathic effects of different concentrations of leaf-litter dust of
Lantana camara on the vegetative growth parameters (development of total number of leaves per plant, height of
the plant, total leaf area, leaf area index) and components of yield (production of number of heads per plant,
production of seeds per head, weight of seeds, seed yield per plant) of niger (Guizotia abyssinica). The results
obtained and data presented in the tables showed the concentration dependent poor vegetative growth and
decreased trend of yield of the test crop. This study indicates that the allelochemicals released from the leaf-litter
dust into the soil had the potential to inhibit physiological processes of niger plant there by suppressed the above
parameters of the test crop.