ABSTRACT
Allelopathy is a term that has been applied to the phenomenon of biochemical interactions among plants. Implicit in this concept is the suggestion that allelochemicals that are produced by a plant must escape into the environment and subsequently influence the growth and development of other plants. The chapter focuses on interactions that involve higher plants, although allelopathic functions are certainly more extensive. It explains the disease injury to a crop due to the presence of decomposing residues. The decomposition of plant residues potentially provides the largest quantity of allelochemicals that may be added to the rhizosphere. The soil involves a dynamic system. Activity of substances released can be quite transitory, since they are subject to destruction, soil absorption and inactivation, and transformation by soil microflora. Plant communities of agricultural fields are not immune from allelopathic interference. In fact, they exhibit numerous instances where the allelopathic phenomenon is suggested.
