The present study was conducted to determine plant growth and physiological responses of corn, barnyardgrass, and soybean to ALA (5-aminolevulinic acid). ALA effect on early seedling growth of test plants was greatly concentration dependant, suggesting that it inhibits at higher concentrations. No significant difference in herbicidal activity of two types of ALA on plant height and weight of test plants was observed. Barnyardgrass was the most sensitive to ALA and followed by corn and soybean, indicating that both crop plants were less affected by ALA concentration as well as different growth stages than barnyardgrass. Greatly reduced chlorophyll contents from leaves of three plant species were observed with increasing of ALA concentration. Compared with untreated controls, higher amounts of three tetrapyrroles were detected from three crop plants, indicating more accumulation in ALA-treated plants. The differential selectivity among plant species would be explained with the differences in tetrapyrrole accumulating capabilities, the susceptibility of various greening groups of plant species to the accumulation of various tetrapyrroles, and their metabolism in various plant tissues. The results indicate that negative biological potential of ALA exhibited differently on plant species, and that the photodynamic herbicidal activity against susceptible plants highly correlated with the extent of tetrapyrrole accumulation by the species.

Common thistle contains water-soluble substances that are phytotoxic to neighboring plant species. A series of aqueous extracts from leaves, stems, roots and flowers of common thistle (Cirsium pendulum Fisch.) were assayed against alfalfa (Medicago sativa) seedlings to determine their allelopathy, and the results showed highest inhibition in the extracts from flowers and leaves, and followed by stems, and roots. The extracts at 40 g dry tissue L-1(g~;L-1) applied on filter paper in a Petri-dish significantly inhibited root growth of test plant by 87%. Methanol extracts at 100 g L-1 from leaves inhibited root growth of alfalfa and barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) by 89 and 98%, respectively. Hexane and ethylacetate fractions of common thistle reduced alfalfa root growth more than did butanol and water fractions. Incorporation into soil with the leaf residues at 100g~;kg-1 inhibited shoot fresh weights of barnyardgrass and eclipta (Eclipta prostrate) by 88 and 58%, respectively, showing higher sensitivity in grass species. These results suggest that common thistle plants had allelopathic potential for eco-friendly vegetation management, and that especially their activities were differently exhibited depending on plant part.