Allelochemicals Biologica... - Name

ANA LUISA ANAYA
ALLELOPATHIC ORGANISMS AND MOLECULES:
PROMISING BIOREGULATORS FOR THE
CONTROL OF PLANT DISEASES, WEEDS,
AND OTHER PESTS
Laboratorio de Alelopatía, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma
de México. Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria. 04510 México, D.F.
Email: alanaya@miranda.ecologia.unam.mx
Abstract. Increasing attention has been given to the role and potential of allelopathy as a management strategy
for crop protection against weeds and other pests. Incorporating allelopathy into natural and agricultural management
systems may reduce the use of herbicides, insecticides, and other pesticides, reducing environment/soil
pollution and diminish autotoxicity hazards. There is a great demand for compounds with selective toxicity that
can be readily degraded by either the plant or by the soil microorganisms. In addition, plant, microorganisms,
other soil organisms and insects can produce allelochemicals which provide new strategies for maintaining and
increasing agricultural production in the future.
1. INTRODUCTION
AGRICULTURE AND PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Agriculture is one of the world’s largest industries. On a worldwide basis, more people
are in some way involved in agriculture than in all other occupations combined.
Agriculture is also United States’ largest industry. This country produces more food
than any other nation in the world and is the world’s largest exporter of agricultural
products. According to the 2002 survey from the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service, there are more than 941
million acres used for farming in the U.S. with the average farm size being 436 acres.
Agriculture in the United States is becoming more productive. In 1935, there
were 6.8 million farms in the United States, and the average farmer produced enough
food to feed 20 people. In 2002, the number of farms was estimated to be 2.16 million,
and the average U.S. farmer produced enough food each year to feed more than
100 people. In addition to providing an abundant food supply for domestic markets,
crops from nearly one-third of U.S. farm acreage are exported to overseas customers
(IFIC 2004).
Pest problems and their management vary widely throughout the world, based on
economical resources, cultural techniques, climate, soil types, and many other
conditions. As a result, chemical pest control has won a central place in modern
Inderjit and K.G. Mukerji (eds.),
Allelochemicals: Biological Control of Plant Pathogens and Diseases, 31– 78.
© 2006 Springer. Printed in the Netherlands.
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