Abstract

The leaf aqueous extracts from five gymnosperms plant were investigated for allelopathy with five Hibiscus syriacus varieties. The leaf aqueous extract of Pinus rigida had the highest total phenolic compound of 2.21mg/L, whereas the soil under Pinus koraiensis canopy had the highest total phenolic compound of 1.38mg/L. Fourteen phenolic compounds were isolated from five gymnosperm plants by HPLC. Among them, phenolic compounds were the highest in P. rigida (320.56 g/mg) with the primary compound 5-sulfosalicylic acid (312.55 g/mg). The correlation between leaf total phenolic compound and pH was not significant, while the total phenolic compound of the leaf extract changed soil pH. The relative seed germination of H. syriacus varieties showed 25% was threshold concentration. The germination rates of varieties were similar to the control group or showed slight stimulation to treatment of P. koraiensis extract. H. syriacus Cambanha was similar to the control group or showed stimulation in all treated groups. H. syriacus Seohohyang showed stimulation in both root and shoot growth compared to the control group. In other varieties except Seohohyang, shoot growth was similar to the control group, while root growth was stimulated in all treated groups. The extracts of tested gymnosperms showed significantly more stimulation to transplanted Seohohyang seedlings, whereas others were similar to control or inhibited in the greenhouse. The dry weight of Seohohyang was greater in all treated groups than the control group, while other varieties were inhibited. All gymnosperm extracts stimulated the chlorophyll contents of Seohohyang and H. syriacus Koyoro but other varieties were not significantly affected. Accordingly, it is suggested that Seohohyang seems the most desirable when planted within these five gymnosperms.