growth and development of neighboring plants in both natural and agricultural
ecosystems (Korres et al. 2019). An allelopathic effect is generally referred to as a
type of adverse synergy (Meiners et al. 2012), but useful interactions have also been
described, relying on the allelochemicals considered, the plant studied, and the
concentration tested (Hill et al. 2006). Chemicals with allelopathic potential are
generally in the conjugated state in all plants and many tissues, including leaves,
rhizomes, pollen, inflorescences, seeds and fruits, stems, and roots (Favaretto et al.
2018). Under specific conditions, these allelochemicals may be permanently liberated
into the environment (atmosphere or rhizosphere) in enough quantities and with
adequate perseverance to affect the neighboring or successional plant.
Allelochemicals have immense potential to be used for herbicide synthesis, facilitating the detection of a new mechanism of action. Genetic and molecular studies are
acutely useful to perceive better knowledge for decoding the accurate function of
allelochemicals in plant-plant interactions (Duke et al. 2001). Weed infestation
represents a major constraint to agricultural production. Herbicide application is the
most important weed control measure used in regular agricultural practices to reduce
the labor cost. However, alternate strategies to herbicides are rising significantly to
minimize the reliance on chemical inputs and to alleviate the toxic impacts that these
compounds impose on the environment. The deep knowledge of allelopathy might
establish an important association to increase the acceptance of agricultural products
through organic agriculture in current challenging consumer markets. Allelopathic
compounds can be exploited as a very robust tool in organic farming by understanding
the synergetic, additive, and antagonistic effects between the species and identifying
the novel natural substances with herbicidal potential and their environmental fate.
The objective of this chapter was to discuss the contemporary advances in scientific
understanding about allelopathy for sustainable agriculture, cleaner, and greener
environment.
2 Allopathic Interactions and Allelopathic Compounds
Allelopathy is a biochemical and physiological process but still not comprehensively
studied in the plant world when we refer to the range of biochemical compounds
through which plants can communicate with each other and with microbiota.
Biochemical dialogue among the organisms may have positive (stimulatory) or
negative (inhibitory) effects, and the synthesis and release of allelochemicals are
triggered by many environmental and genetic characteristics to the natural and
anthropogenic ecosystems. The plants are sessile and cannot move from their
possible enemies and also toward favorable individuals. So, the plant kingdom has
different interactions between the plant communities and soil rhizospheres, such as
crop-crop, crop-weed, and weed-weed, for resource competition and for the defense
that impacts on plant diverse community (Bernards 2010). It has been approximated
that over 10.000 allelochemicals are synthesized by higher plants, with substantial
variability in their function and mechanism of action in target plants (Weston et al.
5 Allelochemicals as Natural Herbicides for Sustainable Agriculture to Promote. . .
95
ecosystems (Korres et al. 2019). An allelopathic effect is generally referred to as a
type of adverse synergy (Meiners et al. 2012), but useful interactions have also been
described, relying on the allelochemicals considered, the plant studied, and the
concentration tested (Hill et al. 2006). Chemicals with allelopathic potential are
generally in the conjugated state in all plants and many tissues, including leaves,
rhizomes, pollen, inflorescences, seeds and fruits, stems, and roots (Favaretto et al.
2018). Under specific conditions, these allelochemicals may be permanently liberated
into the environment (atmosphere or rhizosphere) in enough quantities and with
adequate perseverance to affect the neighboring or successional plant.
Allelochemicals have immense potential to be used for herbicide synthesis, facilitating the detection of a new mechanism of action. Genetic and molecular studies are
acutely useful to perceive better knowledge for decoding the accurate function of
allelochemicals in plant-plant interactions (Duke et al. 2001). Weed infestation
represents a major constraint to agricultural production. Herbicide application is the
most important weed control measure used in regular agricultural practices to reduce
the labor cost. However, alternate strategies to herbicides are rising significantly to
minimize the reliance on chemical inputs and to alleviate the toxic impacts that these
compounds impose on the environment. The deep knowledge of allelopathy might
establish an important association to increase the acceptance of agricultural products
through organic agriculture in current challenging consumer markets. Allelopathic
compounds can be exploited as a very robust tool in organic farming by understanding
the synergetic, additive, and antagonistic effects between the species and identifying
the novel natural substances with herbicidal potential and their environmental fate.
The objective of this chapter was to discuss the contemporary advances in scientific
understanding about allelopathy for sustainable agriculture, cleaner, and greener
environment.
2 Allopathic Interactions and Allelopathic Compounds
Allelopathy is a biochemical and physiological process but still not comprehensively
studied in the plant world when we refer to the range of biochemical compounds
through which plants can communicate with each other and with microbiota.
Biochemical dialogue among the organisms may have positive (stimulatory) or
negative (inhibitory) effects, and the synthesis and release of allelochemicals are
triggered by many environmental and genetic characteristics to the natural and
anthropogenic ecosystems. The plants are sessile and cannot move from their
possible enemies and also toward favorable individuals. So, the plant kingdom has
different interactions between the plant communities and soil rhizospheres, such as
crop-crop, crop-weed, and weed-weed, for resource competition and for the defense
that impacts on plant diverse community (Bernards 2010). It has been approximated
that over 10.000 allelochemicals are synthesized by higher plants, with substantial
variability in their function and mechanism of action in target plants (Weston et al.
5 Allelochemicals as Natural Herbicides for Sustainable Agriculture to Promote. . .
95