Allelopathy an Environmentally Friendly Method for Weed Control

Abstract

Biological weed management is a system that incorporates the use of diverse biological organisms and biologically-based approaches including allelopathy, crop competition, and other cultural practices to significantly reduce weed densities in a manner that is similar to use of chemical herbicides alone. Interest in developing effective biological weed management systems continues to increase because of a growing awareness of problems associated with the constant and intensive use of chemical herbicides, which include surface- and groundwater contamination, detrimental impacts on nontarget organisms, development of weeds resistant to herbicides, and consumer concerns for residues on food. Among different biological methods of weed control, allelopathy could lead to reduced labour costs and increased efficiency, without any adverse effects on the environment. Many of the compounds produced by green plants that are not involved in primary plant metabolism are observed to function as chemical warfare agents against competing plants and pests. Many such natural compounds have the potential to be exploited as herbicides or as leads for discovery of new herbicides. The paper highlights the different concepts of using allelopathy for eco-friendly control of weeds.