Page 108 - Book of Abstracts

5 International Scientific Online Conference DOI: https://doi.org/10.15414/2021.9788055224015

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ALLELOCHEMICALS FROM ROOT ENVIRONMENT OF DIOSPYROS VIRGINIANA L.
Nataliia Pavliuchenko, Olga Grygorieva, Svitlana Klymenko

M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine,
Kyiv, Ukraine; E-mail.: npavliuch@gmail.com

American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana L., Ebenaceae family) is a valuable fruit and
ornamental plant. Under natural conditions persimmon is widespread in the eastern part of
North America. D. virginiana is grown in Ukraine mainly in botanical gardens, but recently it
has become increasingly popular as a food crop. American persimmon fruits are considered
dietary and can be used both fresh and as jams, pastilles, syrups, beer, and other processed
products. All parts of the plant contain biologically active substances that determine its
medicinal properties. At the same time, these organic compounds can manifest themselves as
allelopathic agents through accumulation in the root environment. The allelopathic factor is
essential for the successful cultivation of plants. The work aimed to analyze the allelopathic
properties of the root environment of D. virginiana plants of different ages.
The object of research was the root environment of D. virginiana from orchard plots of
M.M. Gryshko National Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Plants
were divided into the following age groups: a) young plants (2–4 years old); b) plants of the
middle age (7–9 years old); c) the old plants (15–17 years old). Rhizosphere soil samples were
collected at 0–30 cm layer. The fallow soil was used as a control. Allelopathic and biochemical
analyzes of the root environment of D. virginiana were conducted in dynamics during the
growing season. Allelopathic activity of the root environment was studied by the direct
bioassay method. The redox potential (Eh) was measured in soil suspension modeling soil
solution at the soil to distilled water ratio as 1:1 by potentiometric technique. Phenolic
compounds were extracted from the soil by desorption method using an ion exchanger KU-2-8
(H ).
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Allelopathic activity of the root environment fluctuated during the growing season,
significantly increasing towards its end. The root environment of the old plants was
characterized by the highest phytotoxicity.
The biochemical state of the root environment was assessed by redox potential values.
Weakly oxidizing conditions in the control were detected. The Eh values of the root
environment of D. virginiana were lower than the control. The redox status of the root
environment varied from weak to highly reducing soil conditions during the growing season.
The lowest soil Eh values for the old plants were observed.
The content of phenolic allelochemicals in the root environment of D. virginiana was
higher than control. The accumulation of phenolic compounds in the root environment
increased with the age of the plants.
Thus, the concentration of allelochemicals in the root environment of D. virginiana
depended on the age of the plants. The soil phytotoxicity increased along with the duration of
plant cultivation, which was caused by the disturbance of redox processes and the
accumulation of phenolic allelochemicals.

Keywords: Diospyros virginiana, root environment, аllelopathic activity, phenolic compounds, redox
conditions.

Acknowledgments
The publication was prepared with the active participation of researchers in the International Network
AgroBioNet, as a part of the international program "Agricultural Biodiversity to Improve Nutrition,
Health and Quality of Life". This work was supported by grants Visegrad Fund and SAIA (Slovak
Republic).

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Spiritual Human Development
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