Screening methods for the evaluation of crop allelopathic potential

Hanwen Wu, James Pratley, Deirdre Lemerle, Terrence Haig, Min An

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

49 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the development of allelopathic crop varieties for weed suppression. Allelopathic varieties are likely to be able to suppress weeds by natural exudation of bioactive allelochemicals, thereby reducing dependence upon synthetic herbicides. Screening bioassays are essential tools in identifying crop accessions with allelopathic potential. A number of crops have been screened for this allelopathic trait, and key issues in selecting and designing screening bioassays are reviewed. It is recommended that a combination of different bioassays be used in the evaluation of crop allelopathic potential. Laboratory bioassays, field testing, and chemical screening are important steps, and none of them can be precluded if conclusive evidence of crop allelopathy is to be established. More concerted efforts are needed in screening crop germplasm before the development of allelopathic varieties occurs.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)403-415
Number of pages13
JournalThe Botanical Review
Volume67
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2001

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