Inhibition of germination and α-amylase induction by 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone in twelve plant species

6-Methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (MBOA) inhibited germination of rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aethiopicum Jakubz), rye (Secale cereale L.), onion (Allium cepa L.), wild oat (Avena fatua L.), barnyard grass [Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv.], ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin), cress (Lepidium sativum L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill.), carrot (Daucus carota L.) and amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus L) and the inhibition increased with increasing MBOA concentrations. MBOA also inhibited the induction of alpha-amylase in these plant seeds and the inhibition increased with increasing MBOA concentrations. There were variations in sensitivity of these plant species to MBOA, and species of family Poaceae (barnyard grass, wild oat, rice, rye, ryegrass, and wheat) were less sensitive to MBOA than the other plant species.