Interference of allelopathic rice with paddy weeds at the root level

Despite increasing knowledge of the involvement of allelopathy in negative interactions among plants, relatively little is known about its action at the root level. This study aims to enhance understanding of interactions of roots between a crop and associated weeds via allelopathy. Based on a series of experiments with window rhizoboxes and root segregation methods, we examined root placement patterns and root interactions between allelopathic rice and major paddy weeds Cyperus difformis, Echinochloa crus-galli, Eclipta prostrata, Leptochloa chinensis and Oryza sativa (weedy rice). Allelopathic rice inhibited growth of paddy weed roots more than shoots regardless of species. Furthermore, allelopathic rice significantly reduced total root length, total root area, maximum root width and maximum root depth of paddy weeds, while the weeds adjusted horizontal and vertical placement of their roots in response to the presence of allelopathic rice. With the exception of O. sativa (weedy rice), root growth of weeds avoided expanding towards allelopathic rice. Compared with root contact, root segregation significantly increased inhibition of E. crus-galli, E. prostrata and L. chinensis through an increase in rice allelochemicals. In particular, their root exudates induced production of rice allelochemicals. However, similar results were not observed in C. difformis and O. sativa (weedy rice) with either root segregation or root exudate application. The results demonstrate that allelopathic rice interferes with paddy weeds by altering root placement patterns and root interactions. This is the first case of a root behavioural strategy in crop-weed allelopathic interaction.