Prospects for using aqueous extracts of Artemisia absinthium L. as a bioherbicide against the invasive species Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl.

Abstract

The study evaluated the bioherbicidal effect of an aqueous extract of Artemisia absinthium L. on the roots of Lupinus polyphyllus Lindl. seedlings including root length and mitotic index of apical meristems. During the study, the method of “biotesting for root elongation” was used. The aqueous extract of A. absnthium was prepared by hot extraction. L. polyphyllus seeds were used as a test object. The mitotic activity of the root meristems of L. polyphyllus was studied according to Z.P. Pausheva on seedlings of the age of 6 and 9 days. It was found that even a small concentration (0.125%) of the aqueous extract of A. absinthium had a toxic effect on the development of the root system of L. polyphyllus seedlings by reducing root length by 20% compared with the control variant. With increasing concentration of this extract to 1%, a significant increase in the suppressive effect was observed leading to decreasing root length of seedlings by 75% compared to the control variant. The bioherbicidal effect was evaluated by determining the mitotic index using the example of L. polyphyllus. The presence of a mitotoxic effect in the tested samples was experimentally confirmed. The use of an aqueous extract of A. absinthium led to a decrease in cell division activity. The mitotic index in the root meristems of L. polyphyllus seedlings exposed to 1% aqueous solution was by 24% lower on the 6th day and by 29% lower on the 9th day compared to the control variant. Thus, A. absinthium exhibits a pronounced herbicidal effect on L. polyphyllus which opens up prospects for further research.