Editors: Dr Mukul Kumar Baruah, Dr Rahul Kanti Nath & Dr Joyobrato Nath (2025)

ISBN: 97978-93-94174-62-7

Allelopathy in Natural and Artificial Ecosystems: A Review Signifying Invasion Biology and Agricultural Management

Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, School of Natural Sciences, Techno India University Tripura Maheshkhola, Agartala, Tripura-799004, India

Allelopathy is a natural biological phenomenon in which an organism synthesizes biochemicals known as allelochemicals impacting the physiological processes of another organism. In natural ecosystems, different forms of biological association occur among which allelopathy becomes a vital mechanism wherein interaction occurs between donor and receptor plants engaging biotic and abiotic components. Additionally, in such ecosystems, plant species diversity is immense leading to various complex and dynamic relationships among them. Allelopathy becomes a crucial cause behind an important environmental concern that is invasion biology. The exotic weeds flourish in wide range of habitats for expressing their allelopathic trait. However, the same character is also substantially carried by many medicinal plant species. The therapeutic utilization of medicinal plants is based on their exhibition of active phytochemicals which can also be referred to as allelochemicals on account of their possible physiological effect on another organism. Allelopathy by medicinal plants has been realized as a potent biological feature for controlling weeds and providing crop security in agriculture instead of chemical herbicides.This strategy has been proven to be effective on the grounds of many scientific investigations. Nevertheless, the investigations have been suggestive of either inhibitory or stimulating effect of a particular allelochemical in controlled conditions. Agricultural lands are typical artificial ecosystems where specific allelochemical may be implemented for weed management rather than the intricate and wholesome process of allelopathy. Thus, weeds can be managed by medicinal species in artificial ecosystems and the reverse is also true in case of natural ecosystems. Allelopathic trait tends to display plasticity owing to various kinds of species involved along with the influences of other biotic and abiotic elements of the ecosystem. The subject of allelopathy is very vast and vibrant demanding focused and keen interest to explore more of ecological communication.

*Corresponding author; e-mail: pujars4@yahoo.com

Cite this Chapter: Puja Rani Saha and Srabani Saha. 2025. Allelopathy in Natural and Artificial Ecosystems: A Review Signifying Invasion Biology and Agricultural Management. In: Mukul Kumar Baruah, Rahul Kanti Nath and Joyobrato Nath (Eds.), Transdisciplinary Science: Mapping the Future of Research. Excellent Publishers, India. pp. 27-36. doi: https://doi.org/10.20546/978-93-94174-62-7_3