DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2017.v05i03.009

Pages: 183-186

In recent years, the indiscriminate use of synthetic herbicides involves high resistance of the weeds to these chemicals in addition to the harmful environmental effects leading to the emergence of more resistant varieties as one of the their most important consequences. Therefore, the current global effort is in progress to find natural compounds to control weeds or plant pathogenes. Many secondary metabolites have antifungal, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. Thymol is a natural volatile compound from monoterpenes group which can be found in the essential oils of Lamiaceae family. In this study, the allelopathic effect of thymol on the germination and seedling growth rate of some weed species (Amaranthus retrflexus, Portulaca oleracea L., Rumex acetosa) as well as its impact on the control of some fungi species (Asperjillus flavus, Asperjillus fumigats, fusarium graminearum, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) and its inhibitory effect on two plant pathogen bacterial species (Erwinia carotovora and Xanthomonas compestris) were studied. Results showed that the thymol could effectively reduce weed germination rate and early growth. Also, increasing thymol concentration leads to fungal growth reduction and increased inhibitory effect of this substance on the plant pathogen bacteria.