A POSITIVE ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF CORN COCKLE, AGROSTEMMA-GITHAGO, ON WHEAT, TRITICUM-AESTIVUM

The effect of com cockle on wheat was studied during germination and on adult plants in a growth chamber. Seedling length of wheat germinated together with corn cockle for 5 days increased 13%. Wheat growing together with corn cockle in pots to maturity had a statistically significant higher wheat biomass and grain production than wheat growing alone. However, two other experiments with adult plants harvested before wheat maturity showed no effect of corn cockle on wheat production per pot. Within the pots the presence of corn cockle influenced wheat in all three experiments. Wheat plants growing at the same position as a corn cockle plant were 20 to 50% larger than wheat plants standing alone.