• Korean Journal of Weed Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.412-420
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• 2010

Weeds are known to cause enormous losses due to their interference in agro ecosystems. Because of environmental and human health concerns, worldwide efforts are being made to reduce the heavy reliance on synthetic herbicides that are used to control weeds. In this regard phytotoxicity of allelochemical sorgoleone, which is a major component of the hydrophobic root exudates of Sorghum bicolor was evaluated in different weed species and also its crop selectivity in greenhouse and field conditions. Sorgoleone strongly inhibited the growth of different weeds by pre-emergence and post-emergence applications both in greenhouse and field conditions. Post-emergence application of sorgoleone on 21-day-old weed seedlings had a greater inhibitory effect than the pre-emergence application. Again, broadleaf weed species were more susceptible than grass species to the application of sorgoleone at both stages of growth. Growth of broadleaf weed species was suppressed by greater than 80% for most of the weed species except a few species and among them the species Rumex japonicus and Galium spurium were completely suppressed at $200{\mu}g\;ml^{-1}$ sorgoleone. Like greenhouse trial, sorgoleone was more effective for broadleaf weed species followed by sedge and grass weed species in the field condition. The growth inhibition of weeds was slightly lower in field condition compared to greenhouse condition. The crop species like rice, barley, wheat, corn, perilla, tomato, soybean and Chinese cabbage were tolerant to sorgoleone while lettuce and cucumber were slightly susceptible to sorgoleone. Consequently, sorgoleone may be applied to control weeds in organic farms without affecting the growth of crop.