In contrast to plant-animal interactions, the conceptual framework regarding the impact of secondary metabolites in mediating plant-plant interference is currently less well defined. Here, we address hypotheses about the role of chemically-mediated plant-plant interference (i.e., allelopathy) as a driver of Mediterranean forest dynamics. Growth and defense abilities of a pioneer (Pinus halepens...

Wheat-derived foodstuffs represent about one-fifth of the calories consumed by humans worldwide. Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the most important crops throughout the world, and it has been extensively studied for its allelopathic potential. In contrast, for allelopathy in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum), our knowledge is partial and fragmentary. Through highlighting r...

Plant breeders have generated many crop varieties that resist insects and pathogens through improved arsenals of bioactive natural compounds. More recently, molecular biologists have produced highly successful virusand insect-resistant crops by introduction of transgenes that ultimately protect crops by means of natural polypeptides. Herbicides have been the largest segment of the pesticide mar...

Biotic interactions in the plankton can be both complex and dynamic. Competition among phytoplankton is often chemically mediated, but no studies have considered whether allelopathic compounds are modified by biotic interactions. Here, we show that compounds exuded during Karenia brevis blooms were allelopathic to the cosmopolitan diatom Skeletonema costatum, but that bloom allelopathy varied d...

house and field experiments. Research to accomplish the above goals cannot be carried out in one laboratory, Rice (Oryza sativa L.) allelopathy has been on the research agenda and needs active collaboration among a wide range of for a decade. Now it is important to step back and look at its progress to enable priority setting for future research. This paper aims to do scientists, including biol...

A llelopathy is defined by most scientists as the adverse effect of one plant species on another through production of phytotoxins (allelochemicals), although more expansive definitions have been formulated. Allelopathy is but one component of plant/plant interference, the other being competition for resources such as nutrients, light, and water. Allelopathy has been a recognized phenomenon for...

Allelopathy in aquatic environments may provide a competitive advantage to angiosperms, algae, or cyanobacteria in their interaction with other primary producers. Allelopathy can influence the competition between different photoautotrophs for resources and change the succession of species, for exarnple, in phytoplankton cornmunities. Field evidence and laboratory studies indicate that allelopat...

Allelopathy can play an important role in structuring plant communities, but allelopathic effects are often difficult to detect because many methods used to test for allelopathy can be confounded by experimental artifacts. The use of activated carbon, a technique for neutralizing allelopathic compounds, is now employed in tests for allelopathy; however, this technique also could produce large e...

The study of allelopathy as a discipline has a long and at times controversial history. Since Hans Molisch coined the term before World War II, allelopathy research has grown from a trickle of papers before 1970 to a burgeoning subdiscipline of chemical ecology represented by hundreds of papers each year. Yet, allelopathy research still suffers from a reputation for papers of poor scientific qu...

The study of allelopathy has a long history, and its application to agricultural production has long been anticipated. Recently, researchers have found allelopathic plants that are now used as cover crops, and allelochemicals which may lead to new herbicides. This paper reviews three studies introduced in this symposium, and discusses the possible application of allelopathy to agriculture.