Biological activity of Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa) residues on germination efficiency, growth and nutrient uptake of Lycopersicon esculentum L. (tomato) seedlings

Aqueous extract (MSAE) and crude powder (MSCP) of Medicago sativa demonstrated inhibitory effects on seed germination, growth and the nutrient uptake of Lycopersicon esculentum. The results showed that the extracts brought about considerable inhibition in the germination of tomato seeds and in plumule and radicle length. The allelopathic effect of Medicago sativa decreased the germination percentage (GP) of tomato seeds aggravating phytotoxicity (PT) or inhibition percentage with the increase in extract concentration. The extracts also reduced the phytomass of leaves, stems and roots of tomato seedling. The uptake of N, P and K was highly affected and varied drastically by MSCP application. This study revealed that the inhibitory effect of MSAE and MSCP might be due to the presence of some allelochemicals which need further investigation.