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Galinsoga parviflora is a member of the Astraceaea family. Widely distributed in Central and South America, Europe, the West Indies, Mexico, Australia, Africa, and Asia are all home to it. In Asia it is mainly found in different areas of Pakistan. The herb is used in traditional medicines for wound healing, blood coagulation issues, colds, flu, toothaches, and other ailments, disorders of the skin and eyes. Galinsoga parviflora's therapeutic powers are attributed to the presence of a variety of secondary metabolites. The plant is non-toxic and utilised as livestock feed.It is also used as a vegetable in soups and salads by humans.Antibacterial, antifungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory nematicidal, urease, alpa-glucosidase activity, anti-cytotoxic anti-hyperglycemic, respectively properties have been observed in crude extracts and pure chemicals obtained.More than thirty-eight chemicals constituents have been isolated from Galinsoga praviflora. The current study focuses on Galinsoga parviflora's ethno-medicinal usage, isolated natural components, and biological activity.

* Galinsoga parviflora Cav. — Habit: Herb. Habitat: LMDF. Distribution: IV. Voucher: Near Ontulili Forest Station, Alt. 2 178 m, 5 Aug. 2015, SAJIT 003137 (HIB). References: Bussmann (1993, 1994), Agnew (2013)., Published as part of Zhou, Ya-Dong, Mwachala, Geoffrey, Hu, Guang-Wan & Wang, Qing-Feng, 2022, Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Mount Kenya, East Africa, pp. 1-108 in Phytotaxa 546 (1) on page 93, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.546.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6550464, {"references":["Bussmann, R. W. (1993) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): A phytosociological approach with special reference to ecological problems. Ph. D. Thesis, Eberhard Karls Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, 119 pp.","Bussmann, R. W. (1994) The forest of Mt. Kenya (Kenya): Vegetation, ecology, destruction and management of a tropical mountain forest ecosystem. Ph. D. dissertation, Universitat Bayreuth Startseite, Bayreuth, 252 pp.","Agnew, A. D. Q. (2013) Upland Kenya wild flowers and ferns, 3 rd edn. Nature Kenya Publications, Nairobi, 733 pp."]}

Gallant soldier (Galinsoga parviflora Cav.) is a cosmopolitan weed and is traditionally used as a vegetable in Java highland. The study aimed to evaluate agroecology and uses of G. parviflora as an indigenous vegetable in Java. Researches were conducted in Kuningan, Banjarnegara, and Wonosobo districts from June 2015 to July 2017. The distribution map was drawn from field tracks, interviews, and literature studies. Results revealed two Galinsoga species based on leaf and stem shape, i.e., G. parviflora and G. quadriradiata. Only G. parviflora was selected as a vegetable in Banjarnegara and Wonosobo, but not in Kuningan district. It ranked seventh among 13 traditional vegetables; young shoot with inflorescences was consumed after cooking or boiling, and sometimes used as a diuretic. Although it contributed low to household diet, however, its position on the social relationship among neighbors was important. The wide distribution range of Galinsoga in Java is potential as a new vegetable. It is important to study the nutrient content of this vegetable to improve utilization. Keywords: Asteraceae, Dieng, gallant soldier, jukut saminggu, weed

Indigenous vegetables are very important in nutritional wellbeing of low resource rural communities especially in developing countries. Most indigenous vegetables are also believed to contain health promoting compounds such as antioxidants. In this study, nutrient composition of three commonly consumed indigenous leafy vegetables in Malawi namely Amaranth (Amaranthus species), Black jack (Bidens pilosa) and Mwamuna aligone/gallant soldier (Galinsoga parviflora) was determined. Results showed that crude protein expressed on dry weight basis ranged from 15.83±0.19 to 19.04±0.33 with B. pilosa registering the highest value and G. parviflora the lowest. Results on mineral content showed that G. parviflora had the highest (18.84±0.40% DW) p

The study was designed to investigate the chemical composition and the biological effects of G. parviflora and V. polyanthes ethanolic extracts in vitro. Total content of phenols, flavonoids and tannins was quantified by spectrophotometry; chemical characterization was permed by mass spectrometry (ESI (-) FT-ICR MS and APCI (+) FT-ICR MS analysis). Antioxidant activities were determined by FRAP and Fe2+ chelating methods. Extracts cytotoxicity was evaluated in human lymphocytes, sarcoma-180 (S-180) and human gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells, by MTT assay. V. polyanthes presented higher total content of tannins and G. parviflora presented higher amount of phenols and flavonoids. Chemical characterization showed the presence of flavonoids, phenolic acids and sesquiterpene lactones in V. polyanthes extract, and steroids, phenolic acids and fatty acids (Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids - PUFA) in G. parviflora extract. V. polyanthes extract stood out in the Fe2+ chelation test. G. parviflora extract did not present outstanding antioxidant results in the tested protocols. Both species showed a tendency to promote cytotoxicity in human lymphocyte cells. Regarding the antiproliferative effect, both species were able to reduce S-180 cell viability and G. parviflora extract showed high antiproliferative potential in the assay with AGS cells. These findings reinforce the medicinal use of these plants, as well as suggest their potential use for the development of new drugs and for the treatment of cancers.

Chronic exposure to solar radiation is related to an increased incidence of various skin disorders, including premature skin aging and melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. Ultraviolet (UV) photons in particular are responsible for skin damage. Solar UV photons mainly belong to UVA wavebands, however UVA radiation has been mostly ignored for a long time. At the cellular level, UVA photons mainly provoke indirect oxidative damage to biomolecules via the massive generation of unstable and highly reactive compounds. Human skin has several effective mechanisms that forestall, repair and eliminate damage caused by solar radiation. Regardless, some damage persists and can accumulate with chronic exposure. Therefore, conscious protection against solar radiation (UVB+UVA) is necessary. Besides traditional types of photoprotection such as sunscreen use, new strategies are being searched for and developed. One very popular protective strategy is the application of phytochemicals as active ingredients of photoprotection preparations instead of synthetic chemicals. Phytochemicals usually possess additional biological activities besides absorbing the energy of photons, and those properties (e.g. antioxidant, anti-inflammatory) magnify the protective potential of phytochemicals and extracts. Therefore, compounds of natural origin are in the interest of researchers as well as developers. In this review, only studies on UVA protection with well-documented experimental conditions are summarized. This article includes 17 well standardized plant extracts (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze, Silybum marianum L. Gaertn., Punica granatum L., Polypodium aureum L., Vaccinium myrtillus L., Lonicera caerulea L., Thymus vulgaris L., Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., Morinda citrifolia L., Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., Oenothera paradoxa Hudziok, Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Galinsoga quadriradiata Ruiz et Pavón, Hippophae rhamnoides L., Cola acuminata Schott & Endl., Theobroma cacao L. and Amaranthus cruentus L.) and 26 phytochemicals.

It is reported about the diversity of phytobiota of the valuable natural complex "Irpin Forest" in the Kyiv region. The data on the history of research of this interesting from a botanical perspective territory of Kyiv Polissia are presented. The features of the vegetation of different complexes of this forest area, dominated by oak-pine, cereal and moss-lichen forests, are characterized. The most valuable forests here are oak ones, which are rich in rare herbaceous plant species. Besides, there fragmentary occur alder stands on lowland areas. The data on the flora of this territory, which includes 437 species of vascular plants from 67 families and 4 divisions, are presented. Ten dominating families of flora (Asreaceae, Poaceae Rosaceae, etc.) include 51.1 % of the forest flora species. A high level of adventization of this flora (19.6 %) has been noted, which is a result of the accessibility of the territory and a significant number of the population of adjacent settlements. Species with a high level of invasiveness include Amorpha fruticosa L., Iva xanthiifolia Nutt., Erigeron annuus (L.) Desf., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Oenothera biennis L., Oxalis stricta L., Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Solidago canadensis L., Solanum nigrum L. They most often occur along forest roads, on meadows, in places of selective cuttings, on the fringes of the forest. On the periphery of the forest, a number of species were found which have fallen out of cultivation – Berberis aquifolium Pursh, Datura stramonium L. Gaillardia pulchella Foug., Ricinus communis L., Vitis vinifera L. The data on the rare plant species of this territory are given. There are 34 rare taxa, the most valuable of which are the representatives of the families Orchidaceae, Ranunculaceae, Poaceae. Five species of plants of the forest (Dactylorhiza fuchsii (Druce) Soó, D. incarnata (L.) Soó, Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz, Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. Sl) are listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. It is proposed to create a new object of the nature reserve fund of the Kyiv region – a regional landscape park "Streams" ("Potoky") on a part of this territory, with further plans to create an administration, security service and develop a management plan for resource management of the object.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:40:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2022-01-01 Wild leafy vegetables are of increasing interest because many have higher concentrations of some beneficial minerals, vitamins and nutrients than commercial crops. Some reports also indicate that they exhibit high levels of tolerance to abiotic stressors associated with climate change. The aim of this study was to investigate whether selected biochemical, physiological (related to photosynthesis) and morphological traits could be used to screen for elevated temperature tolerance in two wild leafy vegetable species, viz. Amaranthus dubius (C4) and Galinsoga parviflora (C3). One-month-old seedlings were transferred from a greenhouse to growth chambers and subjected to either ambient [25°C (day)/14°C (night)] or elevated [30°C (day)/19°C (night)] temperatures for 15 days. On days 0, 5, 10 and 15, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, selected biochemical, physiological and morphological traits were determined. Data for the 24 traits measured were used in plant trait network analyses to establish the populations’ phenotypic plasticity, including changes in the interactions/relationships amongst the traits when exposed to elevated temperatures. Sixteen traits showed significant differences between ambient and elevated temperatures on day 15, 11 in G. parviflora only, one in A. dubius only and four in both species. Those shared by the two species were intracellular hydrogen peroxide, electrolyte leakage, ascorbate peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase, while specific leaf area was significantly different in A. dubius only. Both species altered biochemical leaf traits under elevated temperatures, while morphological leaf traits were altered in A. dubius only and photosynthetic leaf traits in G. parviflora only. In G. parviflora, the photosynthetic traits were more sensitive to elevated temperatures than in A. dubius. This suggests that photosynthetic traits may be ineffective for screening C4 species, due to them being highly evolved to survive in warmer climates. However, the results showed that photosynthetic traits could be useful as screening tools for C3 photosynthetic pathway species. The plant trait network analyses showed that both species displayed high phenotypic plasticity with a 5°C increase in temperature. We recommend when screening wild leafy vegetables for high temperature tolerance that photosynthetic traits be considered in the context of their phenotypic plasticity. This approach could fast-track the identification of more climate-resilient wild edible species. School of Life Sciences University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban Plant Metabolism Lab. Biosciences Institute São Paulo State University UNESP Coastal campus Praça Infante Dom Henrique s/n São Vicente Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 1003963201 Department for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17 Plant Metabolism Lab. Biosciences Institute São Paulo State University UNESP Coastal campus Praça Infante Dom Henrique s/n São Vicente

The sustainable food valorization is capable to stimulate the local products consumption with quality and nutritional security. In this scenario, Unconventional Food Plants (UFPs) deserve attention representing an alternative for rural communities and contributing to the local and regional economy. This work aimed to add nutritional information, once it evaluates total Fe concentration, Fe-species (water soluble, acid soluble, and inorganic), proteins, and Fe- proteins distribution in beldroega (Portulaca oleracea L.), guasca (Galinsoga parviflora Cav.), ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata Mill.), piracá (Vernonia scorpioides (Lam.) Pers.), and trapoeraba (Commelina benghalensis L.). Considering the Fe total concentration, the studied UPFs can be excellent Fe sources, when compared to foods of plant origin widely consumed and cultivated, detaching the guasca leaves (687±19 µg g-1). However, the guasca leaves showed low concentration of Fe associated to macromolecules and Fe soluble species (1.6±0.3 µg g-1). These results may justify the low bioavailability of Fe species. On the other hand, beldroega leaves presented the highest concentration of inorganic Fe (1.3±0.2 µg g-1). In the UFPs, there is high glutelins concentration when compared to the other protein groups, meaning that UFPs can be low-cost alternative to supplementing protein intake. Finally, for majority UFPs, except guasca leaves, Fe is mainly associated to albumins, being a good source of bioavailable Fe species. Resumo A valorização de alimentos sustentáveis é capaz de estimular o consumo de produtos locais com qualidade e segurança nutricional. Nesse cenário, as plantas alimentícias não convencionais (PANCs) merecem destaque, representando uma alternativa para as comunidades rurais e contribuindo para a economia local e regional. Este trabalho visa agregar informações nutricionais através da avaliação da concentração total de Fe, espécies de Fe (solúvel em água, solúvel em ácido e inorgânico) e proteínas, e da distribuição de Fe associado às proteínas em beldroega (Portulaca oleracea L.), guasca (Galinsoga parviflora), ora-pro-nóbis (Pereskia aculeata), piracá (Vernonia scorpioides) e trapoeraba (Commelina benghalensis L.). Considerando-se a concentração total de Fe, as PANCs podem ser uma excelente fonte de Fe, quando comparadas aos alimentos de origem vegetal comumente consumidos e cultivados, destacando-se as folhas de guasca (687±19 µg g-1). Entretanto, as folhas de guasca mostraram baixa concentração de Fe associado a macromoléculas (como proteínas) e espécies solúveis em água (1,6±0,3 µg g-1). Esses resultados podem justificar a baixa biodisponibilidade das espécies de Fe. Por outro lado, as folhas de beldroega apresentaram a maior concentração de Fe inorgânico (1,3±0,2 µg g-1). Nas PANCs, existe alta concentração de glutelínas, quando comparadas às concentrações dos outros grupos proteicos, significando que as PANCs podem ser uma alternativa de baixo custo para suplementar a ingestão de proteínas. Portanto, para a maioria das PANCs, exceto folhas de guasca, o Fe está principalmente associado às albuminas, sendo uma boa fonte de espécies de Fe biodisponível.

In this experiment, four cadmium (Cd) hyperaccumulator species (Crassocephalum crepidioides, Galinsoga parviflora, Sigesbeckia orientalis, and Solanum nigrum) were intercropped with grape (Vitis vi...

An investigative weed flora survey was conducted in parthenium-infested maize fields in West Gojjam Zone in 2019/2020. The objective was to investigate the distribution and impact of parthenium on species diversity. A survey was conducted on 90 fields using 2 m × 2 m (4 m2) quadrats (totally 270). A total of 110 weed species belonging to 27 families were identified out of these families. Asteraceae with 26 species (23.36%) and Poaceae with 18 species (16.36%) were abundant. The highest importance value (IV) was recorded by Ageratum conyzoides, Amaranthus hybridus, and Bidens pilosa, with 28.05, 19.18, and 13.16%, respectively, in no parthenium infestation level. The highest IV of 27.08, 17.71, and 16.44%, respectively, was shown by Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, and Galinsoga parviflora with 27.08, 17.71, and 16.44%, respectively, in very low parthenium infestation level. Ageratum conyzoides (29.38%), Bidens pilosa (24.10%), and Parthenium hysterophorus (22.68%) had the highest IV in low parthenium infestation level. Parthenium hysterophorus (91.32%), Ageratum conyzoides (17.19%), and Echinochloa colona (16.34%) had high IV in moderate parthenium infestation level. It is concluded that Ageratum conyzoides, Bidens pilosa, Echinochloa colona, and Galinsoga parviflora were competitive over parthenium based on importance value, and this indicates to suggest parthenium as a biological management option.

The use of allelopathy emerges as an alternative method for weed management in crops, especially in small vegetable producing properties. Thus, the objective of this work was to identify possible allelopathic effects of aqueous extracts of the weeds Cyperus difformis L. (small-flowered nutsedge), Commelina benghalensis L. (benghal dayflower) and Galinsoga parviflora Cav. (gallant soldier) on seed germination and seedling growth of Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and Lycopersicum esculentum L. (tomato). Two experiments were carried out in a completely randomized design with five replications, the first with lettuce seeds and the second with tomato seeds submitted to germination in five concentrations of weeds aqueous extracts (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%). All treatments with aqueous extracts of the three species, at different concentrations, caused a reduction in lettuce and tomato root length. There was a reduction in most of the evaluated variables, and seed germination of the crops had the lowest influence of the extracts. The weeds benghal dayflower, small-flowered nutsedge and gallant soldier showed allelopathic potential on lettuce and tomato crops. This potential allelopathic effect is directly related to the concentration and type of extract from the plant species. In general, it can be noted that the greatest allelopathic effect occurred with the use of small-flowered nutsedge extract, followed by gallant soldier and benghal dayflower. Made available in DSpace on 2020-05-07T04:38:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Allelopathy-weeds.pdf: 833932 bytes, checksum: 16a6986afe0ab211e6b1754666453bf5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2020

To determine whether the living hyperaccumulator plants and their straws have the same effects on the growth and heavy metal accumulation of common plants, two pot experiments (intercropping experiment and straw mulch experiment) were conducted to study the effects of living hyperaccumulator plants (Solanum photeinocarpum, Tagetes erecta, Galinsoga parviflora and Bidens pilosa) and their straws on the growth and cadmium (Cd) accumulation of common plant Cyphomandra betacea seedlings. Intercropping with T. erecta or B. pilosa promoted the growth of C. betacea seedlings compared with the monoculture, while intercropping with S. photeinocarpum or G. parviflora inhibited that. Intercropping with S. photeinocarpum decreased the Cd contents in the roots and shoots of C. betacea seedlings compared with the monoculture, but intercropping with the other plants did not. In the straw mulch experiment, the straw of S. photeinocarpum or T. erecta promoted the growth of C. betacea seedlings compared with the control, while the straw of G. parviflora or B. pilosa did not. The straw of S. photeinocarpum or T. erecta decreased the Cd contents in the shoots of C. betacea seedlings, and the straw of G. parviflora or B. pilosa increased the shoot Cd contents. Thus, intercropping with S. photeinocarpum and applying S. photeinocarpum or T. erecta straw can reduce the Cd uptake of C. betacea.

Galinsoga parviflora is an invasive weed in southwest of Chinese agricultural systems and commonly used as medicine and food. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of the G. parviflora was assembled from the whole genome Illumina sequencing data. The circular genome is 151,811 bp in size, which composed of one large single-copy (LSC) and one small single-copy (SSC) regions of 83,594 bp and 18,141 bp, respectively, and separated by a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 25,038 bp each. It encodes a total of 113 gene species (80 protein-coding, 29 tRNA, and four rRNA species), in which 19 of them with double copies. The overall GC content is 37.7% while the GC content of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions are 35.8%, 31.3%, and 43.1%, separately. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Galinsoga parviflora was closely related to Galinsoga quadriradiata.

In this paper, comparison of ecotoxicological and herbicidal effect of newly synthesized N‑[(phosphono)(aryl)methyl]glycines 1a-g (C-substituted glyphosate derivatives) with pure glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine) (2) was demonstrated. All of tested glyphosate derivatives (1a-g) in contrast to glyphosate, were found to be completely safe for oat (Avena sativa) and classified as not harmful for marine bacteria Aliivibrio fischeri. Compounds 1a-g were also found rather harmless to radish (Raphanus sativus) as compared to N-phosphonomethylglycine, but they were moderately toxic against freshwater crustaceans Heterocypris incongruens. One of synthesized compounds, namely N-[(phosphono)(4-hydroxyphenyl)methyl]glycine (1f) was found to possess stronger herbicidal properties against gallant soldier (Galinsoga parviflora) and common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) when compared to pure glyphosate and demonstrated total death of these weeds being ranked 1 in the European Weed Research Council (EWRC) scale. Considering lower phytotoxicity of compound 1f against cultivated plants and tested microorganisms when compared to pure glyphosate, this aminophosphonate may be good candidate for further, more comprehensive study toward its agrochemical application, especially that this active agent demonstrated much stronger herbicidal properties than N-phosphonomethylglycine.

Green synthesized metallic nanoparticles are environmentally friendly, bio-compatible, and highly stable. The aim of this study was to synthesize iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) from FeCl3 solution using aqueous leaf extracts of Galinsoga parviflora (Gp), Conyza bonariensis (Cb) and Bidens pilosa (Bp) and use them in degradation of methylene blue dye. The iron nanoparticles were characterized using UV–Vis spectrophotometer, FT-IR spectrophotometer, X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Phytochemical screening for presence of secondary metabolites revealed presence of phenolics, phytosterols and flavonoids. The total phenolic and flavonoid content in Galinsoga parviflora, Conyza bonariensis and Bidens pilosa leaf extracts were 57.67 ± 1.27, 117.13 ± 0.03, 126.27 ± 0.013 mg Gallic Equivalent/g of Dry Weight (mg GAE/g DW) and 39.00 ± 0.56, 45.50 ± 0.59, 33.13 ± 0.81 mg Rutin Equivalent/g of Dry Weight (mg RE/g DW) respectively. The UV–Vis spectrum of FeCl3 had a shoulder at 320 nm, which disappeared upon addition of G. parviflora, C. bonariensis and B. pilosa extracts confirming formation of iron nanoparticles. Evaluation of iron content of the synthesized nanoparticles revealed that the iron content in G. parviflora, C. bonariensis and B. pilosa extracts was 51, 47 and 44% respectively. XRD data revealed presence of a large amorphous coating that masked iron peaks, though 2 theta values observed have been reported to be of iron oxides. Methylene blue degradation studies revealed that CbNPs, BpNPs and GpNPs synthesized were good biocatalysts as they degraded the dye by 86, 84.3 and 92% respectively. Therefore, green synthesized iron nanoparticles is cost effective and environmentally safe in providing insight in the environmental removal of dyes.

A total amount of 116 fungal strains, belonging to 30 genera, were acquired from the rhizosphere soil and plant of Galinsoga parviflora. A strain SYPF 7336, isolated from the rhizospheric soil, was identified as Seltsamia galinsogisoli sp. nov., by morphological and molecular analyses, which displayed high antibacterial activity. In order to study the secondary metabolites of Seltsamia galinsogisoli sp. nov., nine compounds were successfully seperated from the strain fermentation broth, including two new compounds and seven known compounds. Their structures were elucidated based on spectral analysis including 1D and 2D NMR. All the seperated compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activities. Compounds 2, 5 and 1 displayed antimicrobial activities against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC values of 25, 32 and 75 μg/mL, respectively. Moreover, morphological observation showed the coccoid cells of S. aureus to be swollen to a volume of 1.4 to 1.7-fold after treatment with compounds 1, 2 and 5, respectively. Molecular docking was carried out to investigate interactions of filamentous temperature-sensitive protein Z (FtsZ) with compounds 1, 2 and 5.

To study the effects of hyper-accumulator plant straw on the biomass and cadmium (Cd) accumulation of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), the pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of straw application of three hyper-accumulator plants (Solanum nigrum, Bidens pilosa and Galinsoga parviflora) on the biomass and Cd accumulation of lettuce under Cd stress. The results show that: compared with no straw application, the biomass of lettuce was increased after applying three kinds of hyper-accumulator plant straw: S. nigrum, B. pilosa and G. parviflora, Cd content in the above ground part of lettuce was increased by 4.46%, 1.20% and 0.63% respectively, compared with that of non-application, and Cd content in the root of lettuce was decreased. The application of three kinds of hyperaccumulator plant straw promoted the growth of lettuce and increased Cd uptake by lettuce of aerial part.

Weeds are the most common pests, which interfere with turfgrass establishment and uniformity lowering functional and aesthetic quality of lawns. Killing weed seeds or suppressing their germination is necessary before establishing new lawn to prevent weeds from gaining a foothold hence, giving turfgrass a competitive advantage. A field study was conducted at Bukura Agricultural College, Kenya, to explore the potential of biofumigation with African spider plant (Cleome gynandra) as an environmentally friendly alternative to use of synthetic herbicides for establishment of weed-free Paspalum notatum turfgrass. Biofumigation with chopped C. gynandra plants at flowering stage, incorporated into the soil at the rates of 4, 6 and 8 kg m-2, respectively, and was compared with Basamid® (97% Dazomet) at 0.029 kg m-2 and untreated negative control in a randomized complete block design experiment. C. gynandra at rates of 6 or 8 kg m-2 was as effective as Basamid® at 0.029 kg m-2 in significantly suppressing Galinsoga parviflora, Galinsoga ciliata and Bidens pilosa weed populations and reducing weed infestation. Other weed species occurred in the experimental plots in insignificant populations. The results of this study demonstrated that C. gynandra has potential for use as a biofumigant against weeds during lawn establishment. Key words: Cleome gynandra, biofumigation, environmentally friendly, weeds, herbicides, lawn.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is of important major crops for its carbohydrate and plays important roles to support food sovereignty along with rice, wheat, corn, and sorghum. Potato growth and yield at West Sumatra has not reached its maximum potential due to some factors including cultivation. One major important constraint in potato growing in West Sumatra is the fact that farmers use the 8th to 12th generation of potato seedlings which have a very low agronomic potential. Yet, weeds have caused another problem in the field and reduce potato yield. An experiment has been conducted at the Laboratory of Microbiology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Andalas and Nagari Alahan Panjang, Subdistrict Lembah Gumanti, Solok Regency from November 2018 to March 2019. The experiment was aimed at determining the best indigenous rhizobactria isolates to increase the growth and yield of potato plants as well as weed population dynamics associated with potato plants. Six isolates of indigenous rhizobacteria and a control treatment group were tested in a completely randomised design with three replicates. The isolates were L1 S3.1, L1 S3.2, L1 S4.4, L2 S1.2, L2 S2.3, L2 S3. 2. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance and mean separation with Duncan's New Multiple Range Test (DNMRT) at 5%. Results showed that isolate L1 S4.4 was best in increasing the number of branches, number of tubers, and weight of potato yield. The isolates tested affected weed populations dynamics, prior to treatments there were 8 species of weeds found at the field i.e Bidens pilosa L., Leptochloa chinensis, Eleusine indica L., Agerathum conyzoides, Richardia sp, Galinsoga parviflora, and Sonchus arvensis. During potato growing at the field, weed species of Eleusine indica L. and Gynura divaricata dissappeared from the soil. In contrast, Amaranthus spinosus emerged demonstrating that weed population dynamic has occurred.

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of intercropping with Youngia erythrocarpa, Conyza canadens and Mazus japonicus on physiological and biochemical characteristics of hyperaccumulator Galinsoga parviflora under cadmium (Cd) stress. The results showed that intercropping with Y. erythrocarpa (GIY), C. canadens (GIC) and M. japonicus (GIM) all increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), peroxidase (CAT) activity and the soluble protein content of G. parviflora compared with monoculture (MG), the photosynthetic pigment (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoid) content and chlorophyll a/b of G. parviflora increased after intercropping, too. Among all treatments, GIC had the highest antioxidant enzyme activity, soluble protein content and photosynthetic pigment content. As for photosynthetic characteristics, GIC had the highest net photosynthetic rate (Pn), followed by GIY, GIM and MG. Compared with MG, the stomatal conductance (Gs) and transpiration rate (Tr) of GIC and GIM all increased significantly while that of GIC had no significant change, moreover, GIC had significantly lower CO2 concentration of intercellular (Ci) than other treatments, there was no significant difference in value of pressure deficit leaf (Vpdl) among all treatments. Therefore, under Cd stress, intercropping with C. canadens can improve the antioxidant enzyme activity and photosynthetic capacity of G. parviflora to the greatest extent, which was conducive to its remediation of Cd contaminated soil.

Peppermint (Mentha ×piperita L.) rootstock cuttings with 9–11 internodes were planted on April 10, 2014 in rows 50 cm apart and with 25-cm distance in the row, on well fertilized muck-peat soil containing 82.1% of organic matter with a pH of 5.9. Peppermint plants were sprayed once with an activated EM-1 preparation, then on two or three further occasions as follows: at 10 cm height (May 10), at branching stage (May 29), and during rapid growth (June 19). EM did not affect peppermint growth or yield. Yields of the fresh and dry herb were high (means: 15,563 and 2,661 kg ha−1, respectively) and characterized by a medium (1.85–1.90%) essential oil content in the dry herb. Twenty-nine compounds were identified in the oil and its main components were menthol (53.1–58.5%), menthone (14.6–16.8%), isomenthone (6.3–6.7%), menthyl acetate (4.0–5.0%), germacrene D (2.3–3.4%), ß-caryophyllene (1.8–2.4%), viridiflorol (1.5–2.3%), and 1,8-cyneole (0.3–3.7%). EM did not affect the content of essential oil in the dry herb or the oil composition (except for 1,8-cyneole). Thirty-four days after planting, 22 weed species grew in the experimental plots and the dominant were common meadow grass (Poa pratensis L.) accounting for 20% of total weed population, annual meadow grass (Poa annua L.) 17%, common chickweed [Stellaria media (L.) Vill.] 20%, creeping yellowcress [Rorippa sylvestris (L.) Besser] 8%, hairy galinsoga [Galinsoga ciliata (Raf.) S. F. Blake] 7%, gallant soldiers (Galinsoga parviflora Cav.) 6%, Canadian horseweed [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq.] 6%, common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris L.) 5%, and annual nettle (Urtica urens L.) 5%. Other species occurred sporadically. The total number and fresh weight of weeds growing on 1 m2 were 412 and 246 g on plots treated with EM and 389 and 227 g on control plots, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Purpose. To study the competitive relationship between the plants of switchgrass ( Ра nісum virgatum L.) and weeds as affected by the plant density under the conditions of the Right Bank Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. Methods. Field, laboratory. Results. The following species of weeds were found in switchgrass crops: Chenopodium album , Galinsoga parviflora , Persicaria lapathifola , Amaranthus retroflexus , Xanthium strumarium , Melandrium album , Thlaspi arvense , Sinapis arvensis , Echinichloa crus-galli and Setaria glauca . At the time of accounting, the highest weed density (plant/m 2 ) was found in the variants with plant density (plants/m 2 ) of 50 and 100. In particular, the number of annual cereal weeds in these variants was 57.9 and 35.8, Thlaspi arvense 23.6 and 10.4, Amaranthus retroflexus 22.4 and 10.7, Galinsoga parviflora 21.7 and 9.1, Sinapis arvensis 21.4 and 9.9, Chenopodium album 18.5 and 9.9, Persicaria lapathifola 9.8 and 5.3, respectively. The total number of weeds in the variant with a density of 50 was 188.2, which is 34% more compared to the variant where switchgrass density was 200. Under conditions of joint vegetation with weeds, switchgrass fomed rather insignificant vegetative mass. In particular, for the switchgrass density of 50, only 23.0 g of crop mass per m 2 was recorded, whereas the weeds generally formed the maximum experimental values of 2288.8 g/m 2 . For the cultivation of switchgrass at a density of 100, its green mass was 34.0 g/m 2 , while that weeds was 1088.7 g/m 2 , which is 2.1 times less compared to the previous variant. For the density of 150, switchgrass green mass was 58.0 g/m 2 , and the maximum density (200) 73.0 g/m 2 . In these variants, biomass of weeds decreased to 780.1 and 569.8 g/m 2 , respectively. Conclusions. The intensity of weed dry mass accumulation in switchgrass stands drastically decreased with increasing the density of switchgrass in the experiment from 50 to 100 plants per m 2 . At the same time, full dominance of switchgrass in the stands in the first year of vegetation, even at the plant densities of 150 and 200 plants per m 2 , was not observed. In particular, the maximum weed density generally formed a dry mass of 254.8 g/m 2 , while the plants of switchgrass formed only 35.6 g/m 2 .

The objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a hydroalcoholic extract from Galinsoga parviflora herb (GP) in some aspects of the endothelial cell function necessary for anti-inflammatory activity and wound healing and relate these to the GP phytochemical profile. This study demonstrated that the GP extract caused a dose-dependent reduction of IL-6 secretion on IL-1&beta, stimulated endothelial cells. The IL-6 release was decreased to 33% &plusmn, 9% while this did not influence the IL-6 secretion without stimulation. Additionally, the GP extract exhibited an anti-hyaluronidase activity (IC50 = 0.47 mg/mL), which was evidently stronger than the positive control kaempferol (IC50 = 0.78 mg/mL) as well as a moderate and concentration-dependent, antioxidant activity. The results of the scratch assay showed that exposure of the endothelial cells to GP induced complete healing of the damage after 12 h of the study. The phytochemical profile of the extract was studied by using spectrophotometric (total amount of polyphenols and flavonoids) and UPLC (phenolic acids) methods. The main compound in the GP extract was a chlorogenic acid (2.00 &plusmn, 0.01 mg/g by UPLC). The total content of polyphenols was 98.30 &plusmn, 0.14 mg of chlorogenic acid equivalent/g of the dry herb and content of flavonoids amounted to 6.15 &plusmn, 0.41 mg quercetin equivalent/g of the dry herb. Moreover, the presence of flavonoids in G. parviflora was provided after their isolation and identification by spectroscopic methods. In conclusion, it demonstrated that application of GP in the treatment of skin lesions gives possibility of wound healing based on antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hyaluronidase-inhibiting activities of G. parviflora herb extract.

Allelopathic effects of aqueous extract of different plant parts (root, stem and leaf) of Artemisia dubia on seed germination and seedling growth of two winter crops ( Triticum aestivum and Brassica campestries, and some associated weeds ( Bidens pilosa, Ageratum conyzoides, Galinsoga parviflora and Cyperus rotundus ) have been investigated in the present study. Extracts of root, stem and leaves of Artemisia dubia showed significant reduction in germination and seedling growth of test crops and weeds. Germination of crop and weed seeds and growth of shoot and root were reduced significantly in test treatments in comparison to the control. The seed germination, shoot length and root length were low at higher concentration. Complete inhibition of seed germination of Ageratum conyzoides , Galinsoga parviflora and Cyperus rotundus at 5 and 10% leaf extract of A.dubia was observed. Allelopathic effects were more pronounced with leaf extract than root or stem extract in most cases.The result indicated difference in allelopathic effect on crop seed and weed seed at higher concentrations. ECOPRINT 21: 23-30, 2014 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v21i0.11901