Potential of different common (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) and Tartary (Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn.) buckwheat accessions to sustainably manage surrounding weeds

Abstract

Twenty-nine accessions of two buckwheat species (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench (common buckwheat) and Fagopyrum tataricum (L.) Gaertn. (Tartary buckwheat) were evaluated for their allelopathic potential against two resistant weeds, the monocot Lolium rigidum Gaud. and the dicot Portulaca oleracea L. The bulking use of synthetic herbicides and their consequent contamination of the environment and resulting increment of herbicide-resistant weeds, imminently requires a solution to achieve sustainable weed management without chemical inputs. The results obtained in this study suggest that buckwheat accessions can sustainably manage weeds through plant interference as competition or allelopathy. This research showed that accessions differ in their potential for sustainably managing both weeds with F. esculentum accessions being more effective against L. rigidum and F. tataricum accessions against both, monocot and dicot weeds. The chemical profile of buckwheat accessions was evaluated to know the content of polyphenols in common and Tartary buckwheat accessions and to know more about their ability to manage weeds sustainably. Differences in the chemical profile between the two buckwheat species were clear. While common buckwheat accessions showed more orientin, vitexin and hyperoside, Tartary buckwheat accessions had higher amounts of rutin, quercetin and kaempferol. We propose that the screening and selection of accessions with strong polyphenol content and vigorous growth can be a step towards organic farming due to its relation to the weed management.