The Impact of Soil Allelotoxicity on Germination of Grain Seeds

Abstract

The inhibition of seeds of grain crops germination in soils of the East European Plain in comparison with sand has been found. It resulted from the pot experiments that the slowed down seed germination and growth of seed sprouts in the first two days of laboratory experiments was not leveled in the course of the further development of plants. The lag in plant growth was clearly visible after 14 days. Different crops and their varieties slowed down their development in the same soils in different ways. This makes it necessary to investigate the inhibition of development of particular plants in studied soils rather than to use test plants. The choice of crops (varieties) for planting on test plots in farms with the assessment of allelotoxicity of soils by the length of seed sprouts seems to be a promising method for selection of spring crops.