Allelopathic Ability of Various Aquatic Plants to Inhibit the Growth of Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle and Myriophyllum spicatum L.

Abstract : The term allelopathy was first coined by Molisch in 1937. In general, the term allelopathy refers to the detrimental effects of higher plants of one species (the donor) on the germination, growth, or development of another species (the recipient) (Putnam 1985). Specifically, allelopathy refers to the biochemical interactions that take place among plants, but its effectiveness depends on the addition of a chemical to the environment (Sutton 1986a). Rice (1974) provided us with a more functional definition as being any direct or indirect harmful effect by one plant (including microorganisms) on another through production of chemical compounds that escape into the environment. Similarly, Parker (1984) defined allelopathy as the harmful effect of one plant or microorganism on another because of the release of secondary metabolic products into the environment.