Waseem Mushtaq

• PhD
• PostDoc Position at University of Liège

The stress induced by allelochemicals present in stem aqueous extract (SAE) of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia on alterations in growth, ultrastructure on Cassia tora L., and mitotic changes on Allium cepa L. were inspected. Application of SAE at different concentrations (0.5, 1, 2, and 4%) expressively reduced the growth of C. tora in terms of seedling...

Allelopathic studies may be defined in various aspects; weed against weed/crop and vice versa. This book focuses on the ways to utilize the allelopathic potential of weeds or crops for controlling weeds in the agroecosystems. Vigorous use of herbicides is poisoning our environment at an alarming rate; allelopathy can be employed as a useful alterna...

Roots of weeds that are left behind in the soil after removal of their aerial parts can reduce the growth of crops. Here we conducted an assessment to evaluate the allelopathic interference of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia roots and its rhizosphere soil on the growth of Pisum sativum L., identification of chemicals involved, the role of charcoal, the r...

This study evaluates induced allelopathy in a rye-pigweed model driven by rye’s (Secale cereale L.) allelopathic potential as a cover crop and pigweed’s (Amaranthus retroflexus L.) notoriety as a weed. The response of rye towards pigweed’s presence in terms of benzoxazinoids (BXs) provides valuable insight into induced allelopathy for crop improvem...

Allelopathy, a biological phenomenon involving the production and release of secondary metabolites known as allelochemicals, plays a critical role in plant interactions and agroecosystem dynamics. Phenolic compounds are a significant class of allelochemicals that profoundly affect plant competition, soil health, and microbial communities. When rele...

Population increase, poverty, environmental degradation and the use of synthetic herbicides are interdependent and closely linked and hence influence global food safety and stability of world agriculture. On the one hand, varied weeds, insects, and other pests have caused a tremendous loss in agricultural crop productivity annually. On the other ha...

Cancer is the major challenge across world and the adenocarcinoma of prostate malignancy is the second most prevalent male cancer. Various medicinal plants are used for the treatment and management of various cancers. Matricaria chamomilla L., is one of the extensively used Unani medicament for the treatment of various type of diseases. In the curr...

Nanotechnology uses biological and non-biological materials to create new systems at the nanoscale level. In recent years, the use of silver nanomaterials has attracted worldwide attention thanks to their wide range of applications as catalysts in several environmental processes including the degradation of organic pollutants and medicinal biotechn...

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) is an annual plant belonging to the family Leguminosae or Fabaceae. The seeds of fenugreek contain 26.8% soluble fiber chemically identified as galactomannans with properties similar to soluble fiber of guar seeds and psyllium husk and so on. Galactomannans are biopolymers consisting of linear core poly (1,4)-β...

Arsenic contamination could affect human health and environmental safety. Pollution of soil and water resources by arsenic and its toxic compounds has attracted a great deal of attention and concern worldwide. The severity of arsenic‐related toxicities and side effects becomes more pronounced when we realize that, based on published scientific resu...

The research of the fundamentals of the behavior of behavior in the soil–plant system during their co-contamination is of high interest because of the absence of technologies for the creation of effective, environmentally friendly and cost-effective remediation methods, as well as integrated systems for predicting the quality of soils co-contaminat...

Nowadays, phytotoxins as natural compounds extracted from different plants are widely used as growth regulators or growth inhibitors for other plants or microorganisms. Furthermore, phytotoxin study may lead to the synthesis of new products with various biological activities. Therefore, the detection and identification of these compounds is very im...

Environmental pollution is one of the most critical issues concerning the quality of the environment and threatens the human safety due to bioaccumulation. The extensive application of pesticides causes great public concern about the negative impacts on the environment and human health. Herbicides have been used for weed management and to prevent t...

Saline soil is an increasing global problem. Augmented levels of salt content in agricultural soils impart negative influences on germination, plant growth, and reproducibility. It also affects various biological processes viz: nutrient balance, photosynthesis, respiration, membrane properties, metabolism, cellular homeostasis, enzymatic activity a...

Weed residues mixing with the soil after the death of weeds can inhibit growth and development of crop plants. A study was conducted to assess the allelopathic intrusion of Nicotiana plumbaginifolia above-ground residues on growth of selected crops (Pisum sativum, Cicer arietinum) and weeds (Cassia tora, C. sophera), nature of chemicals involved, r...

Mushrooms are important natural resources in natural ecosystems. They have been used for centuries as a means of food, medicine and religious rituals for humans. In this study, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cd, Pb and Zn contents of edible mushroom Suillus granulatus...

Plant trichomes vary in their structure and cellular composition. Glandular trichomes contain a bulk of specific (secondary) metabolites of diverse nature. Trichomes are connected with various adaptive processes, which include protection against herbivores and pathogens as well. Our study investigates the allelopathic contribution of structures pre...

Food production is considered as one of the sensitive fields of application of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology has made a revolution in agriculture through novel tools for the cure and diagnosis of diseases, intelligent delivery systems, sensors and improved management devices. However, the quick progress of nanotechnology can lead to the developmen...

There is an increasing demand for agriculture to speed up production with maximum output while minimizing inputs. Modern agricultural techniques need to be adopted as conventional ones fail to fulfill food demand for ever increasing global population facing challenges like climate change, resource depletion, and shrinking landscape. Nanotechnology...

Molisch (1937) derived allelopathy from the two Greek words: allelon (which means ‘of each other’) and pathos (which means ‘to suffer’). Allelobiogenesis or allelopathy characterized by the combination of both biotic and abiotic stresses actuated by donor plants on recipient plants. As per the modern literature, the term allelopathy is an organic c...

Allelopathy, in simple terms, is a biochemical phenomenon by which a plant influences the growth, germination, and survival of another plant in its vicinity by producing certain chemical inhibitors into the environment known as allelochemicals. Though the use of allelopathic water extracts is economical and environment-friendly yet the reduction in...

Weeds are undesired plants that are of no economical use and are hard to manage by farmers. Weeds affect the growth and development of crops and therefore limit their productivity (Ani, Onu, Okoro, & Uguru, 2018). In the agricultural system, weeds compete with crop plants resulting in the loss of their yield (Gaba, Reboud, & Fried, 2016). They limi...

Allelopathy could be characterized as “an imperative component of plant impedance interceded by the addition of secondary metabolites produced by plants into the soil rhizosphere” (Weston, 2005). These secondary metabolites are typically exuded into the rhizosphere and affect the development of plants that are growing in the vicinity of allelopathi...

Asteraceae consists of 8–10% of angiosperm species, around 1600–1700 genera with 24,000 species (Funk, Susanna, Steussy, & Robinson, 2009). Several plants in the Asteraceae family, especially chromolaena odorata, Helianthus annuus, and Tithonia diversifolia (of which remnants of Ageratum conyzoides, Vernonia amygdalina, and Artemisia annua) are rev...

The biological invasion may discover its root into the marvels of allelopathy, the allelochemicals produced by the plants as a mean of their defense mechanism has turned out to be hindering to the growth of its native plants yet not to their coexisting species due to their adaptive capability (Callaway & Ridenour, 2004). In fact, allelopathy has be...

The allelopathic plants have been recommended as a suitable alternative for weed control under sustainable agriculture (Dahiya, Kumar, Khedwal, & Jakhar, 2017). Allelopathic plants smother weeds in the field following crop rotation (Dwivedi, Shrivastava, Singh, & Lakpale, 2012), cover or smother crops (Ch, Sturm, Varnholt, Walker, & Gerhards, 2016;...

Allelochemicals are eco-friendly and play a significant part in weed control. In this regard, an in-vitro investigation was performed to evaluate the phytotoxic potential of Nicotiana. plumbaginifolia Viv. on Senna sophera (L.) Roxb., Chenopodium album L., Senna tora (L.) Roxb. and Setaria viridis L. The experiment is aimed to assess the impact of...

Invasive species are key operators of worldwide ecological change causing the loss of biodiversity, modifying structure and functioning of bio-system, and disturbing establishment of ecosystem amenities throughout the world. About 8.6% of the overall flora of India is alien. A considerable rise in worldwide trade and travel is expected to accelerat...

Natural Remedies for Pest, Disease and Weed Control presents alternative solutions in the form of eco-friendly, natural remedies. Written by senior researchers and professionals with many years of experience from diverse fields in biopesticides, the book presents scientific information on novel plant families with pesticidal properties and their fo...

Climate change, depleting natural resources, declining arable land and sky-high population represent the main obstacles to the attainment of global food security. Therefore, to make a significant breakthrough in the food production and to combat global food insecurity, sustainable intensification of the agricultural production through low-input agr...

Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. is one of the fastest growing weed. It belongs to family Solanaceae. Sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins have been reported to be the chief components of secondary metabolites this family produces which are responsible for allelopathy. Every year due to its lush growth in the crop fields, N. plumbaginifolia as a weed leads t...

The vegetation of a geographical landscape relies heavily on the local environment. Altitude is a major factor in shaping the phytodiversity and biomass. The biomass study is essential for estimating the productivity of natural ecosystems. The demand for medicinal plants has been increased and it has become a trend to utilize forests and its produc...

Nicotiana plumbaginifolia Viv. is one of the fastest growing weed. It belongs to family Solanaceae. Sesquiterpenoid phytoalexins have been reported to be the chief components of secondary metabolites this family produces which are responsible for allelopathy. Every year due to its lush growth in the crop fields, N. plumbaginifolia as a weed leads t...

Allelopathy accounts for both beneficiary and detrimental biochemical relations amongst plants. The phenomenon has received great attention since the 1980’s all over the world; however, in India, research on allelopathy just started in the late 1980’s. Studies have been done with many crops, trees, shrubs and weeds under both laboratory bioassays a...

Solanaceae plants have strong allelopathic potential, and therefore the action is confirmed through: a) bioassays with liquid or various solvent extracts and residues, b) fractionation, identification, and quantification of causative allelochemicals. Most assessments of allelopathy involve bioassays of plant or soil extracts, leachates, fractions,...

Marine polysaccharides include chitin, chitosan, alginate, agar and carrageenans. They are highly reactive chemically and are peculiar for thermo-reversible gel formation. Chitosan is a cationic carbohydrate biopolymer derived from chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharides present in nature after cellulose. The main sources of chitin are the...