Allelopathy
Allelopathy is new science, which indicates inhibitory or stimulatory
biochemical interactions between the two plant spp. Prof. Hans Molisch,
a German Plant Physiologist coined this term in 1937. Thereafter
worldwide, a lot of allelopathic research had been conducted in various
fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences. Hence, International
Allelopathy Society in 1996, broadened its definition to
Allelopathy refers to any process involving secondary metabolites
produced by plants, microorganisms, viruses and fungi that influence the
growth and development of Agricultural and Biological Systems. In
future, Worldwide there will be increase in demand for better quality
food and in large quantity due to increased human population. Therefore,
for Sustainability of Agriculture, we need to minimise the use to
present pesticides (weedicides, insecticides, nematicides, fungicides),
to control pests (weeds, insects, nematodes, diseases) in field crops,
through use of allelopathic strategies for pests management. The present
pesticides used for control of agricultural pests have caused many
problems, viz., development of resistance in organisms, environmental
pollution, toxicity related health hazards in humans and livestock.
Studies have shown a great potential of allelochemicals in pest control,
thus, these may minimise or eliminate the use of present pesticides.
Besides, allelopathy has many other applications in agroecosystems and
thus provides basis to Sustainable Agriculture. Therefore, it is
priority area of multidisciplinary research in developed Countries and
currently allelopathy research is being done throughout the World. For
clean environment, to avoid health hazards in human and livestock and
for development and Sustainability of Organic/Ecological Agriculture, adoption of allelopathic strategies
in farming are essential.
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