Volume : IV, Issue : IV, April - 2015

Role of the Elicitor Compound Methyl Salicylate in Enhancing Allelopathic Potential of Rice for Sustainable Weed Management

Babita Patni, Ashish Sharma, S. K. Guru

Abstract :

Rice production suffers a major setback through weed pressure world wide. In the present study, exogenous application of elicitor compound methyl salicylate (MeSA), at different concentration, (0.1, 0.2, 0.3mM MeSA) was made

as a foliar spray and its effect on allelopathic potential of rice genotypes was assessed.
The experiment was conducted in a split-plot design with the weedy and weed-free treatments in the main plot and three genotypes as the
sub-plot treatment with the foliar application of MeSA.Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and methyl salicylate (MeSA) are important signaling molecules that induce plant defense against insect herbivores and microbial pathogens. We tested the hypothesis that allelopathy is an inducible
defense mechanism, and that the MeSA signaling pathways may activate allelochemicals release.
MeSA was found to improve the competitive ability of the genotypes by suppressing weed biomass through enhancements in phenolic acid
content (viz. caffeic, o-coumaric and syringic acid) and also in plant growth without any detrimental effect on the host plant, showing that
application of MeSA resulted in enhancement of phytotoxic potential of rice genotypes. Spraying of rice plants with 0.2 mM MeSA resulted
in highest inhibition of weed dry weight in all the genotypes. Application of MeSA increased also increases Shoot dry matter, grain yield, as
well as PAL activity. These results suggest that allelopathy may be an active defense mechanism, and that plant signaling compounds are
potentially valuable in its regulation.

Keywords :

Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijsr  

Cite This Article:

Babita Patni, Ashish Sharma, S. K. Guru Role of the Elicitor Compound Methyl Salicylate in Enhancing Allelopathic Potential of Rice for Sustainable Weed Management International Journal of Scientific Research, Vol : 4, Issue : 4 April 2015


Number of Downloads : 1549


References :