Allelopathy for weed control in agricultural systems

Published Date
Crop Protection
June 2015, Vol.72:57–65, doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2015.03.004
Review

Author 

• Khawar Jabran ^a,,
 
• Gulshan Mahajan ^b
 
• Virender Sardana ^b
 
• Bhagirath S. Chauhan ^c,,

• aDepartment of Plant Protection, Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey
• bPunjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
• cQueensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Received 1 November 2014. Revised 2 March 2015. Accepted 3 March 2015. Available online 13 March 2015. 

Highlights

• •
  Crop yield losses by weeds surpass 30%.
• •
  Diversity in weed control practices reduces the herbicide resistance evolution in weeds and avoids environmental pollution.
• •
  Microorganisms facilitate the process of allelopathy in the soil environment.
• •
  Use of allelopathy can play an important role in achieving sustainable and integrated weed control.
• •
  Sowing of allelopathic cultivars can help to reduce weed pressure without an extra cost.

Abstract

Weeds are a hidden foe for crop plants, interfering with their functions and suppressing their growth and development. Yield losses of ∼34% are caused by weeds among the major crops, which are grown worldwide. These yield losses are higher than the losses caused by other pests in the crops. Sustainable weed management is needed in the wake of a huge decline in crop outputs due to weed pressure. A diversity in weed management tools ensures sustainable weed control and reduces chances of herbicide resistance development in weeds. Allelopathy as a tool, can be importantly used to combat the challenges of environmental pollution and herbicide resistance development. This review article provides a recent update regarding the practical application of allelopathy for weed control in agricultural systems. Several studies elaborate on the significance of allelopathy for weed management. Rye, sorghum, rice, sunflower, rape seed, and wheat have been documented as important allelopathic crops. These crops express their allelopathic potential by releasing allelochemicals which not only suppress weeds, but also promote underground microbial activities. Crop cultivars with allelopathic potentials can be grown to suppress weeds under field conditions. Further, several types of allelopathic plants can be intercropped with other crops to smother weeds. The use of allelopathic cover crops and mulches can reduce weed pressure in field crops. Rotating a routine crop with an allelopathic crop for one season is another method of allelopathic weed control. Importantly, plant breeding can be explored to improve the allelopathic potential of crop cultivars. In conclusion, allelopathy can be utilized for suppressing weeds in field crops. Allelopathy has a pertinent significance for ecological, sustainable, and integrated weed management systems.

Keywords

Yield losses

Weeds

Allelopathy

Allelopathic activity

Weed management 

Crop improvement

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  Corresponding authors.

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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