Effects of Wood Distillate on Seedling Emergence and First-Stage Growth in Five Threatened Arable Plants

Wood distillate (WD) is an environmentally safe bio-based product stimulating plant growth and yield allowed in Italy organic farming. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies on effects WD spontaneous plants growing among crops, including their functional traits such as biomass. test effects, we carried out a lab experiment artificially reconstructed arable communities composed five species conservation interest, which specialist winter cereal crops: Bromus secalinus L., Centaurea cyanus Lathyrus aphaca Legousia speculum-veneris (L.) Chaix, Scandix pecten-veneris L. After sowing 45 pots under controlled conditions, applied at three concentrations (0%, 0.2%, 0.5%) six times over 7 weeks. The number emerged each pot was counted every two Finally, harvested all measured fresh dry above-ground weight pot. resulting data were analyzed by Permutational Analysis Variance. application 0.2% 0.5% modified community composition after weeks, but differences later disappeared. Both had positive effect S. negative that speculum-veneris. Moreover, increased seedling emergence aphaca, pecten-veneris. enhanced entire community. We suggest use low cereals may be sustainable agricultural practice benefits crops without harming associated diversity.