Bio-degradation of Precocene II by Novosphingobium capsulatum

Precocene II is a major allelochemical produced by the weed Ageratum conyzoides. Its degradation is important in the recovery of A. conyzoides invaded plant communities. Using a strain of N. capsulatum isolated from the A. conyzoides invaded/infested soil; we examined the effects of various factors viz., incubation time, temperature, initial pH, and carbon and nitrogen source on the degradation of precocene II. We found that under optimal conditions with supplementation with a carbon and nitrogen source, up to 79.8% precocene II is degraded by N. capsulatum.