Significance of Allelopathy in Crop Rotation

Summary

Rotation systems and allelopathic interactions between plants-plants, plants-insects, plants-microorganisms would be important to exploit allelopathy in optimising the production of rotation systems. The objective of this study is to provide evidences for the importance of allelopathy in crop rotation for weed, insect and disease management with minimal application of external inputs. The relationships between allelochemicals and environmental factors are a key for the growth of plants under rotation. Examples from field crops, forage crops, horticultural species, weeds, and microbes provide evidences for the role allelopathy plays in crop rotation systems. In conclusion, the selection of certain plant sequences under standard environmental conditions may lead to suppression of weeds, insects and diseases and avoid yield decline.

Key Words:

• Crop rotation
• allelopathy
• weed management
• disease management
• role of microbes