Valutazione di un potenziale erbicida naturale estratto da Ruta graveolens L.: effetti sullo sviluppo vegetativo e sulla produzione di seme di ravanello. Evaluation of potential natural herbicide extracted from Ruta graveolens L.: effects on radish vegetative growth and seed production.

Plants are known to produce metabolites that are potentially useful in agriculture as a mean of weed control. In order to evaluate its selectivity as a bioerbicide, we investigated the effects of an aqueous extract obtained from Ruta graveolens on the vegetative development and yield performance of a seed radish crop. Two schemes for the bioerbicide application were followed: a) bioerbicide application starting at 3 weeks and b) bioerbicide application starting at 5 weeks after sowing. In both cases, following the first application the bioerbicide treatment was repeated every week. These two schemes were compared with a control treatment (water only), according to a split-plot design with three replicates. The earlier bioerbicide application, at three weeks after sowing, resulted in lower seed production than the Control tratment and than the bioerbicide treatment started at five weeks after sowing.