ARS | Publication request: DOES SICKLEPOD, CASSIA OBTUSFOLIA, HAVE POTENTIAL AS AN INDUSTRIAL CROP?

Submitted to: Industrial Crops and Products International Conference Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: September 22, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Sicklepod is a leguminous weed species that has become a severe problem in soybean production areas throughout the Southern United States. Effective control strategies for this noxious weed are limited by a lack of herbicides that discriminate among legumes and "no-till" cultural practices which accentuate the spread of sicklepod seed. Sicklepod seed contain anthroquinones, such as obtusfolin, which produce toxic effects in livestock. When crushed with soybeans, these compounds also contribute to lower oil quality. Economic incentives to clean soybeans prior to sale should generate a large source of sicklepod seed in the Southeastern United States. Unless a market is found for these seeds, disposal on farm land will lead to greater infestations of this weed and further reduce soybean productivity. This study was undertaken to survey C. obtusfolia for potential industrial and agricultural applications. As much as 41% of the C. obtusfolia seed was extractable as useful components. Some fractions from C. obtusfolia were strong inhibitors of wheat, velvetleaf and sicklepod root growth, causing discoloration of the root meristems in a manner similar to that caused by naphthoquinones such as juglone and plumbagin. Some extracts acted as feeding stimulants in fall armyworm causing them to grow to 50 to 100% larger than controls in a 7 day trial.