Juglone’s Effect on Germination and Cellular Respiration Rates in Soybean and Corn Varieties

Supporting files

Ohio produces ~250,000 tons of black walnuts yearly with no major commercial use. Black walnuts contain a toxic compound called juglone, which hinders the growth of many but not all plants. This project examines the effects of black walnut extracts on Glycine max (soybeans) and Zea mays (corn) varieties grown in Ohio. The hypothesis is that the extracts
derived from the black walnut products will enhance the germination, cellular respiration, and growth of glycine and zea. Measured amounts of hull and nut extracts derived from whole black walnuts were added to the seeds of glycine and three zea (Ambrosia, True Gold, Painted Hill) varieties to examine their effects on germination.

Cellular respiration of grouped seedlings was measured using Vernier CO2 probes to estimate the amount of oxygen utilized and energy produced during germination. Furthermore, the shoot and root lengths of extract-treated plants were measured at different time intervals to examine the plant growth. Data were analyzed and plotted in Microsoft Excel comparing water-treated and extract-treated conditions. The results demonstrate that the hull extract, and not the nut extract, derived from black walnuts predominantly increased the germination, cellular respiration rate, and overall growth of glycine and zea varieties. These findings shed new light into the effect of juglone on glycine and zea health and demonstrate the potential for use of black walnut products as biofertilizers in Ohio glycine and zea fields.