Competition and Plant Trait Plasticity of Invasive (Wedelia trilobata) and Native Species (Wedelia chinensis, WC) under Nitrogen Enrichment and Flooding Condition

Nitrogen (N) is the important nutrition that regulatory plant functioning and environmental stability of invasive plant species under flooding (F) conditions. Little information clarifies the role of nitrogen enrichment and flooding on the invasive plant functional traits and competition with native competitors. Plant functional traits play an essential role in the successful growth of plants under different environmental conditions. Therefore, greenhouse pots experiment was conducted with invasive plant species (Wedelia trilobata, WT), and its native competitor (Wedelia chinensis, WC) in monoculture and cocultivation culture, along with flooding and nitrogen enrichment conditions. Considering the impact of flooding (F) and nitrogen (N) on an individual basis, the plant physiological traits of WC were nonsignificant compared to that of WT. However, in the combination of flooding × additional nitrogen (F.N, F.2N), plant physiological traits of WT were comparatively higher than those of WC, especially in cocultivation. In flooding × additional nitrogen (F.N and F.2N), better phenotypic plasticity at different plant traits makes WT more dominant in resource competition over WC. In conclusion, improved functional traits of WT under nitrogen enrichment and flooding conditions enhanced its competitiveness over native competitors.

Ecological risk assessment of potentially invasive alien plant species in Cibodas Biosphere Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

More than 80 potentially invasive plant species have spread throughout the Cibodas Biosphere Reserve, Indonesia. Recently, research has shown that the surrounding community utilizes more than 50% of these species. Although this utilization provides social and economic benefits, it threatens the Cibodas Biosphere Reserve core zone ecologically. Therefore, this study conducted a risk assessment to determine the invasiveness level of utilized plant species. The evaluation was performed using Hawaii and Pacific Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) scheme. The results show that almost all the potentially invasive plant species are high risk, with scores ranging from 10 to 26, except for Fragaria vesca and Mentha arvensis. The highest WRA score was obtained for Lantana camara and followed by Austroeupatorium inulifolium, Cobaea scandens, Mikania cordata, Sonchus asper, Clidemia hirta, Piper aduncum, Sonchus arvensis, Cestrum aurantiacum, Dracaena fragrans, Passiflora ligularis, Podachaenium eminens, Thunbergia coccinea, and Wedelia trilobata. As most of these species were herbaceous plants obtained from cultivated areas, the risk of invasion into the core zone is low. Based on the findings, the recommended management option to control these species is harvesting, accompanied by containment. Through this method, the community can continue to use the species while controlling the population, thereby limiting their spread.

Compost of Yellow Creeping Daisy (Wedelia Trilobata, L.) Weed to Increase Organic Tomato Yield

Numerous weeds, including Yellow Creeping Daisy (Wedelia trilobata) are sources for compost. Compost efficacy is dependent on several factors, including the source of organic matter, the dosage, the application method, and the period of the application. The purpose of this study was to compare tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum, Mill) growth and yield at various Yellow Creeping Daisy (YCD) compost doses and application times. The experiment employed a completely randomized design (CRD) with a factorial arrangement consisting of two factors. The treatment combinations were repeated three times. The first factor was the timing of compost application, which were two and one weeks prior to planting, and on planting day. The second factor was the dosage of compost, which was 0, 10, 20, or 30 tons/Ha. Application of YCD compost 1-2 weeks before tomato planting provided greater yield than at planting, as indicated by number of fruit, fruit diameter, and fruit weight per plant. Higher dose of YCD compost application increased the yield of tomato. Application of the compost 2 weeks before planting at 30 tons/ha resulted in the highest yield of tomato.

Growth and Yield of Soybean on Various Types and Concentrations of Liquid Organic Fertilizer in Ultisols

The application of a wed-based liquid organic fertilizer can increase the production of black soybeans (Glycine Max L. Merril). The study aimed to identify the best source and dose of liquid organic fertilizer (LOF) for black soybean growth and yield. The researchers used a three-times-repeated Completely Randomized Design (CRD) using a factorial layout. The first factor was the source of LOF, which included Siam weed (Chromolaena odorata, L.), Goat weed (Ageratum conyzoides L.), and yellow creeping daisy (Wedelia trilobata L.). The second factor was the concentration of weed-based LOF, consisted of water (control treatment); 12 ml/L; 16 ml/L; 20 ml/L. The results of the study show, weed-based LOF, namely LOF Yellow creeping daisy, Goat weed, and Siam weed, resulted in no significant difference in the growth and yield of the black soybean. Except for the variables of root fresh weight and number of pods per plant, the variation in concentration of weed-based liquid organic fertilizer had no significant effect on plant growth and yield.

EFFECT OF WEDELIA TRILOBATA ESSENTIAL OIL ON THE GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF COWPEA

Wedelia trilobata is an invasive weed of the family Asteraceae.Objective of the study was to find out the impact of essential oil on the germination and seedling growth of cowpea. Different concentrations of essential oil(200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000ppm) were used,a controlwas kept without oil. Cowpea seeds were sown in these essential oil in petriplates,at the end of test period all the germination parameters were measured. All the germination parameters showed that treatment had no negative impact on germination. While root length,shoot length,embryo axis length,seedling length showed a significant variation in treatments compared to control. GC-MS analysis of essential oil revealed that it is a mixed chemotype and α-pinene (10.859 %), caryophyllene oxide (5.325%) and spathulenol (7.911%) are the major compounds.

ASTERACEAE: A TAXONOMICALLY AND MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT SUNFLOWER FAMILY

The Purpose of the research: The study aimed to document the Asteraceae species in the study area. The study also examined the species diversity and medicinally important plants. Data, Materials, and Methodology: The work is based on fresh materials collected during thirty-six field visits to Paba Upazila of Rajshahi district, Bangladesh was carried out from November 2018 to October 2019 to cover the seasonal variations. Plant parts with either flower or fruits collected using traditional herbarium techniques to make voucher specimens for documentation. The results: The result shows in all, 44 species under 35 genera of the family Asteraceae were reported, out of which 40 (90.90%) were used medicinal applications for the treatment of more than 59 diseases. Major findings: The findings of the study that 25% of species were very common, 43.18% were common, 25% species were rare and 6.82% species were very rare in the study area. Mikania cordata (Burm.f.) Robinson is the only climbing species. Blumea laciniata (Roxb.) DC. and Wedelia trilobata (L.) Hitchc. has been reported for the first time in Paba Upazila of Rajshahi. The present study will help in identifying the major Asteraceae species for further investigation and also beneficial to develop the herbal drug development.