ALLELOPATHIC POTENTIAL OF GMELINA-ARBOREA (VERBENACEAE)

The allelopathic potential of Gmelina arborea was tested on tomato. Se eds were placed under indirect natural light on Petri dishes (four rep lications, 20 seeds each) with absorbent paper. Three solutions were a dded: water, and 0.2 and 0.4 g/ml of mature leaves collected from thre e two year-old trees. The experiment was repeated under more intense l ight. The same solutions were added to pots with a mixture of soil and sand (four replications, ten plants each). There was a negative effec t of the leaf extracts on germination (especially under low light), gr owth and total biomass (at least a 9.1, 33.3 and 62.9% reduction, resp ectively). Roots were proportionately more affected.