Weeds are a major threat for crop production and their control is mostly based on the use of synthetic herbicides that pose environmental risks, result in herbicide-resistant weeds, and are forbidden in organic agriculture. Natural compounds with herbicidal activity could provide suitable solutions and the Mediterranean basin is a partially unexplored source of plants producing bioactive compounds. A screening was performed considering eleven plant species, still scarcely studied for herbicidal properties, common in the Mediterranean area, known for allelopathy or source of bioactive compounds.
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Investigations aimed at: 1 obtaining plant extracts containing different classes of compounds using three solvents; 2 identifying herbicidal effects on several indicator species for seed germination, seedling growth, direct contact, plantlet uptake; 3 obtaining preliminary indications on application mode; 4 obtaining first information about classes of bioactive compounds in the extracts. Eight species provided active extracts. Extracts from Arthemisia absinthium, Cynara cardunculus, Dittrichia viscosa and Ruta graveolens, most active on seed germination, underwent fractionation and in vivo bioassays, confirming their potential herbicidal activity. First information about extract composition was achieved. This preliminary study opens the way to further research and applicative investigations of selected species confirming the feasibility of the approach for organic weed management.
