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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370476
Research Project: Integrated Insect Pest and Resistance Management on Corn, Cotton, Sorghum, Soybean, and Sweet Potato

Location: Southern Insect Management Research

Title: Allelopathic effects of Cinnamomum septentrionale leaf litter on Eucalyptus grandis saplings

Author
item HUANG, WEIWEI - Nanjing Forestry University
item Reddy, Gadi V.P.
item SHI, PEIJIAN - Nanjing Forestry University
item HUANG, JIANBEI - Max Planck Institute For Biogeochemistry
item HU, HONGLING - Sichuan Agricultural University
item HU, TINGXING - Sichuan Agricultural University

Submitted to: Global Ecology and Conservation
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/4/2019
Publication Date: 12/7/2019
Citation: Huang, W., Reddy, G.V., Shi, P., Huang, J., Hu, H., Hu, T. 2019. Allelopathic effects of Cinnamomum septentrionale leaf litter on Eucalyptus grandis saplings. Global Ecology and Conservation. 21:e00872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00872.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00872

Interpretive Summary: The decomposing leaf litter of evergreen tree - Cinnamomum and aqueous extracts of this leaf litter significantly inhibited the growth (height and basal diameter), chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis of flooded gum or rose gum saplings and caused oxidative damage in these trees. Furthermore, leaf litter aqueous extracts destroyed the membrane systems, whereas Mazz leaf litter had no effect on malondialdehyde content. The Synthesis Effect indicates that leaf litter aqueous has a stronger allelopathic effect than leaf litter under the same treatment, and the inhibition strengthened with increasing concentration of leaf litter aqueous and Mazz leaf litter.

Technical Abstract: Allelopathy plays an important role in plant-plant interactions, particularly through compounds released from litter exudates and decomposition. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to examine how additions of Cinnamomum septentrionale Hand. Mazz leaf litter (DLF) versus leaf litter aqueous extracts (WLF) can impact Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maid saplings, focusing on growth, physiology and photosynthesis. We show that both DLF and WLF significantly inhibited the growth and photosynthesis of E. grandis saplings, and this inhibition strengthened with increasing concentrations of WLF (range from 0 to 80 g L-1) and soil DLF content (range from 0 to 120 g pot-1). Additions of leaf litter or its aqueous extracts decreased chlorphyll content and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) while stomatal conductance (Gs) increased, reflecting that non-stomatal limitation might be the reason for the reduction of the photosynthetic rate. After treatment with DLF, the peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were reduced, while there was a reduction in POD and non-changed SOD activity after treatment with WLF. Furthermore, sugar and proline levels declined under both DLF and WLF treatments. This study demonstrates that both DLF and WLF of C. septentrionale influenced the growth, chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis of E. grandis saplings and caused oxidative damage in E. grandis. The Synthesis Effect (SE) indicates that WLF has stronger allelopathic effect than DLF under the same treatment. This stronger allelopathic effect of C. septentrionale leaf litter aqueous extracts than its decomposing leaf litter can be reflected by greater damage to membrane systems, and greater reductions of both chlorophyll content and phosynthesis on treated plants.