Natural Herbicide from Sunflower Leaves

During metabolism, plants produce and liberate by-products that could be phytotoxic, and can prevent the growth of other plants close to them. Known as allelopathy, this chemical process is used by certain species to minimize competition for resources like nutrients and water with nearby plants. Researchers from the Sao Paulo State University are taking advantage of this phenomenon to produce natural herbicides.

Led by Peter Luis Alves, the researchers demonstrated the inhibitory effect of sunflower in the growth of harmful weeds. The group found out that light signals the production of the phytotoxic molecules. In sunflower, exposure to yellow light causes significant increase in the production of the secondary metabolites, mostly phenolic compounds. Scientists are now exploiting the possibility of extracting natural herbicides from sunflower leaves. If the compounds responsible for allelopathy will be identified, synthetic compounds may also be produced for large-scale preparations.

Read more at http://www.cnpso.embrapa.br/noticia/ver_noticia.php?cod_noticia=413