This work aimed at identifying, through bioassay, the effect of organic extracts of pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), signal grass (Brachiaria plantaginea (Link.) Hitchc.), ageratum (Ageratum conyzoides L.) and three corn cultivars (AG1051, C333 and C435) on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Marisa AG216) germination and seedling. Thus, the methanolic extracts of their straws were concentrated under vacuum and dissolved in 1% (v/v) aqueous surfactant Tween 80. Then, the resulting solutions were applied to filter papers contained in Petri dishes, where lettuce was sowed. Distilled water and 1% Tween 80 were used as controls treatment. The corn cultivar extracts AG1051, pigweed and ageratum promoted reduction of the germination index in relation to the control with distilled water. The germination percentage was affected by ageratum extract (82.5% less than the control). All extracts and the surfactant Tween 80 promoted inhibition lettuce seedling growth with reduction of root length between 9.53 and 14.83 mm and hypocotyls between 21.64 to 30.95 mm.
allelopathy; weeds; corn