ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1609150
The cabbage-leaf water extract can inhibit the germination and seedling growth of three receptor crops
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shanxi Institute of Organic Dryland Farming, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China
- 2College of Agronomy, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
- 3Shanxi Agricultural University,, Taiyuan, China
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To investigate the allelopathic effects of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. Capitata L.) on seed germination and seedling growth of three crops commonly cultivated in the cold, arid regions of Shanxi Province, we studied the effects of water extracts from air-dried cabbage leaves on cocozelle, kidney bean, and corn. Experiments were conducted using both petri dish filter paper and pot culture methods to simulate natural conditions. The results indicated that cabbage leaf water extracts at concentrations of 0.01-0.04 g•mL -1 significantly inhibited seed germination. At higher concentrations (0.06-0.08 g•mL -1 ), the extract markedly suppressed seedling growth in all three crops (p < 0.05), with the degree of inhibition increasing alongside concentration. Radicle elongation in cocozelle and corn was more strongly inhibited than germ elongation at the same extract concentration, In contrast, kidney bean showed greater inhibition of germ elongation than radicle elongation at 0.04 g•mL -1 . Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was elevated in kidney bean and corn seedlings treated with cabbage extract, indicating oxidative stress. At extract concentrations of 0.06-0.08 g•mL -1 , antioxidant enzyme activities, such as antioxidase superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) were enhanced in all three crops. The comprehensive allelopathic inhibition followed the order: cocozelle > corn > kidney bean. The differences appear to be related to the changes in MDA content and antioxidant enzyme activity. Based on these findings, rotating cabbage and kidney bean may help reduce negative allelopathic effects. It is also recommended to remove the entire aboveground portion of cabbage during harvest to reduce allelochemical residues in the soil and minimize their inhibitory impact on subsequent crops.
Keywords: Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L., Water extract, Allelopathic effect, Malondialdehyde, mL -1 )
Received: 10 Apr 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhao, Ye, Zhao, Li, Huang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Cong Zhao, Shanxi Institute of Organic Dryland Farming, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China
Nana Li, Shanxi Institute of Organic Dryland Farming, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taiyuan, China
Juanlin Wang, Shanxi Agricultural University,, Taiyuan, China
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