Allelopathy for weed management in forest restoration

ABSTRACT: In forest restoration, weeds compete with tree seedlings for water, nutrients, sunlight and space, as well as act as habitat for pests and diseases. Allelopathy - the inhibition of one plant by another - may allow weeds to be controlled without the environ-mental hazards associated with synthetic herbicides. Allelopathic compounds, or allelo-chemicals, are released by different plant parts and processes (e.g. flowers, stems, and root exudates, residue decomposition and volatilization). Plants, exhibiting these properties, have been identified in both natural and agricultural systems. In this chapter, we discuss the potential uses of allelopathy for weed management in forest restoration. This includes the planting of allelopathic tree species, the incorporation of allelopathic plants or weeds into planting sites, and the use of allelochemicals in auto-weeding for automated forest rest-oration. Auto-weeding, using allelopathy, could be a more environmentally friendly, cost-effective alternative to synthetic herbicides, in forestry systems. However, research is required to identify the source and target species of allelochemicals, evaluate their effective-ness in the field, and determine the optimal timing, rate, and application methods, for their use.

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