Potentiel allélopathique du figuier de barbarie andlaquo; Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill andraquo; sur la germination et la croissance du jujubier andlaquo; Ziziphus lotus (L.) Desf. andraquo;

Phytoecological observations made in agro-ecosystems in the Chaouia region revealed that the tufts of wild jujube andquot;Ziziphus lotus (L.) Desf.andquot; enclaved in the hedges of Barbary fig andquot;Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. andquot; slow their biological activity and their growth and ends by being eliminated completely. The hypothesis that put into play the phenomenon of allelopathy as a mechanism of interference between the two species has been verified in this study. Thus, bioassays were conducted in vitro in the laboratory in order to test the effects of aqueous and hydro-ethanolic extracts of aerial and belowground parts of Barbary fig on seed germination and seedling growth of wild jujube. A dosage of total phenols by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent and a subsequent identification of these phenols compounds have been made. The results showed that these phenols are present in both stems and roots of Barbary fig, with varying concentrations (6.91 to 42.75 mg EAG/g of dry weight) according organ of the plant and the solvent used in the extraction. Very significant inhibitory effects up to 100% were observed on the kinetics and the final rate of jujube seed germination as well as its growth. These results allowed us to infer the existence of a strong correlation between allelopathic effects of Barbary fig on jujube and the concentration of total phenols content in different parts of this species of cactus.