ABSTRACT
Allelopathy plays an important role in agro-ecosystems through a wide variety of interactions between plants. Use of ground cover crops and smother crops are one of the oldest and traditional practices. Several studies have shown that cover crops reduce soil erosion, conserve moisture, improve soil nutrients and suppress weeds. Cover crops with allelopathic effect can inhibit the growth of noxious weeds and thus maintain the sustainability of the agro-ecosystem. This chapter reviews the allelopathic potential of buckwheat, isolation and identification of the bioactive phenolics and piperidine alkaloids and role of these allelochemicals as to how these bioactive compounds from buckwheat suppress weeds.
