The comparison effect of Avena sativa, Gingko biloba and Withania somnifera on germination of barley seeds (Hordeom Vulgare)
Authors:   , Hadebe Zanele Nqobile 
Published: August 2024

Background Agriculture is one of the main contributors to the South african economy. Feeding a growing population, availability of skilled farmers and sustaining an environment are amongst the three crucial issues agriculture faces. Fertilisers are one of the main solutions for growth of plants in agriculture, however, these fertilisers are often used at the cost of the environment.This has stirred a universal hunt for economic friendly alternatives like biofertiliser. Aim of the study This research study aims to determine the effects of three homoeopathic decimal dilutions (3X) of Avena sativa, Gingko biloba and Withania somnifera on barley seeds (Hordeum vulgare). The homoeopathic decimal dilutions of Avena sativa, Gingko biloba and Withania somnifera were selected as they possess phytochemicals that could be beneficial to increase plant crop yield. Methodology Benyunes(2005) German Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia (GHP) 4a specifications were followed for creating the homoeopathically manufactured (3X) decimal dilutions of Withania somnifera, Avena sativa and Gingko biloba for the investigation. A randomised complete block was used in the experimental setup at the Durban University of Technology's Horticulture Department nursery. Two experiments were conducted simultaneously: Experiment A (treatments made with deionised water) and Experiment B (treatments made with 30% ethanol). Experiment A A total of 600 barley seeds were germinated in three trays labelled 1 to 4 with tags separating the seedling trays into four categories, namely: Avena sativa 3X, Gingko biloba 3X, Withanania somnifera 3X and control (deionised water). Each tray consisted of 200 barley seeds, 200/4 = 50 seeds in each category. Thus, the experiment was replicated three times. Experiment B A total of 600 barley seedswere germinated in three trays labelled 4 to 6 with tags separating the seedling trays into four categories, namely: Avena sativa 3X, Gingko biloba 3X, Withanania somnifera 3X and control (30% alcohol). Each tray consisted of 200 barley seeds, 200/4 = 50 seeds in each category. Thus, the experiment was replicated three times. The study was conducted over a 23-day period. This research utilised a quantitative method to collect data before and post-harvest. The number of seedlings that emerged, stem diameter and shoot height were measured before harvest. Ten seedlings were randomly selected from each replicate (i.e., 30 seedlings per treatment). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare seed germination, leaf number, stem diameter, shoot height, root length, shoot weight and root weight, followed by the Tukey HSD test (a = 0.05). The paired sample test was used to compare the difference between treatments that used water as a vehicle and those that used ethanol as a vehicle (P = 0.05). The data collected were analysed using software (IBM SPSS Statistics v27; IBM Corp). Results The results indicated that there were significant differences in the germination percentage, leaf number, shoot height and shoot weight in the seedlings grown in deionised water as a vehicle. It was found that with deionised water as vehicle, Avena sativa had the highest germination percentage and highest root weight. Control (deionised water) had the highest leaf numbers and the tallest shoots. Gingko biloba had highest shoot weight for the samples grown using deionised water as the vehicle. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in most of the parameters tested for the seedlings grown in ethanol except for except germination percentage between Gingko biloba and control and another significance of difference in Gingko biloba,Withania somnifera and Avena sativa on germination percentage as parameter as well as significance of difference between control (ethanol),Gingko biloba and Withania somnifera on stem diameter as parameter . It was found that deionised water appeared to be the best growth vehicle for Avena sativa and Gingko biloba extracts while Withania somnifera was the best when ethanol was used as a vehicle. Conclusion Based on the results, it can be concluded that the overall best treatment that can benefit farmers was Avena sativa with deionizide water as a vehicle as it had the highest germination percentage and root weight. Ethanol had an inhibitory effect when used with homoeopathic remedies, so deionised water was the best growth vehicle. The results indicated that there is a potential for homoeopathy in agriculture, and more studies are required. Farmers can then produce good crops while sustaining the environment