The analysis of allelopathic bioassay data commonly encounters two problems: one is the small number of biological replicates and the other is that the parameters used to infer allelopathic effects such as percentage and average time of seed germination are analyzed individually, and consequently, information on the global effects resulting from the cumulative effects of the tested agent (e.g., leaves extract) may be missed. Therefore, we propose an index to analyze several parameters altogether so as to have a better view of the global influence of a donor plant on a receptor, whose interference is more likely to be detected. The global effect index can help to detect allelopathic interferences of one plant on another, allowing for a more accurate interpretation of the data in the actual biological setting.

Nomenclature: Data analysis, n value, methodology, statistic, weed control.