Operation Allelopathy: An Experiment Investigating an Alternative to Synthetic Agrochemicals

Synthetic herbicides represent a serious problem in modern agriculture because they are not biodegradable and can accumulate in the soil and in the groundwater, a situation that allows them to enter the trophic chain and ultimately leads to human exposure. Allelopathic chemicals offer an effective alternative to the synthetic compounds. The aim of this experiment is to highlight the differences between chemical and biological control of diseases in crops and to demonstrate the use of natural fungicides and herbicides as alternatives to synthetic chemicals. The experiment involves an evaluation by students of the potential of plant extracts as an alternative to synthetic agrochemicals to identify new ecological farming techniques that could be applied in agriculture. In an effort to encourage 1800 students in high school (14 to 16 years old) to have an interest in science, technology, and innovation, the third edition of the Summer Science Campus was organized by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Tech...

[1]  A. M. Simonet,et al.  Structure-Activity Relationships (SAR) studies of benzoxazinones, their degradation products and analogues. phytotoxicity on standard target species (STS). , 2005, Journal of agricultural and food chemistry.

[2]  C. Soderquist.  Juglone and allelopathy. , 1973, Journal of chemical education.

[3]  C. Chou.  Allelopathy and Sustainable Agriculture , 1994 .

[4]  D. K. Tripathi,et al.  Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Silybum marianum : A Review , 2011 .

[5]  J. Galindo,et al.  Evolution and Current Status of Ecological Phytochemistry , 2008 .

[6]  A. M. Simonet,et al.  The Use of Allelopathic Studies in the Search for Natural Herbicides , 2001 .

[7]  O. Koul,et al.  Comparing impacts of plant extracts and pure allelochemicals and implications for pest control. , 2009 .

[8]  W. Agosta.  MEDICINES AND DRUGS FROM PLANTS , 1997 .

[9]  U. Dzhemilev,et al.  PMR and 13C NMR spectra of biologically active compounds. XIII.* Structure and stereochemistry of a new phenylpropanoid glycoside isolated from Onopordum acanthium seeds , 2009, Chemistry of Natural Compounds.

[10]  M. Owen,et al.  Herbicide-resistant crops and weed resistance to herbicides. , 2005, Pest management science.

[11]  D. S. Sullivan,et al.  Vegetation management and ecosystem disturbance: impact of glyphosate herbicide on plant and animal diversity in terrestrial systems , 2003 .

[12]  I. Vasilakoglou,et al.  PHYTOTOXICITY OF 10 WINTER BARLEY VARIETIES AND THEIR COMPETITIVE ABILITY AGAINST COMMON POPPY AND IVY-LEAVED SPEEDWELL , 2008, Experimental Agriculture.

[13]  F. Allen,et al.  Up the Garden Path: A Chemical Trail through the Cambridge University Botanic Garden , 2012 .

[14]  Alejandro Pérez-de-Luque,et al.  Sunflower sesquiterpene lactone models induce Orobanche cumana seed germination. , 2000, Phytochemistry.

[15]  R. G. Powell.  Plant seeds as sources of potential industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pest control agents. , 2009, Journal of natural products.

[16]  F. Visioli,et al.  The protective ability of the Mediterranean plant extracts against the oxidative DNA damage. The role of the radical oxygen species and the polyphenol content. , 2005, Journal of physiology and pharmacology : an official journal of the Polish Physiological Society.

[17]  M. Khan,et al.  Bioherbicidal activity of some winter weeds against some crops. , 2012 .

[18]  Muhammad Farooq,et al.  REDUCED HERBICIDE DOSES USED TOGETHER WITH ALLELOPATHIC SORGHUM AND SUNFLOWER WATER EXTRACTS FOR WEED CONTROL IN WHEAT , 2012 .

[19]  S. Duke,et al.  Natural products for pest management , 2006 .

[20]  K. Umehara,et al.  Sesquiterpene glycosides and saponins from Cynara cardunculus L. , 1988 .

[21]  S. Duke,et al.  Rationale for a natural products approach to herbicide discovery. , 2012, Pest management science.

[22]  Dayan,et al.  Natural products as sources of herbicides: current status and future trends , 2000 .

[23]  R. Brun,et al.  Cynaropicrin: the first plant natural product with in vivo activity against Trypanosoma brucei. , 2012, Planta medica.

[24]  Y. Wang.  Environmental impact of herbicide use in the subtropics , 1999 .

[25]  A. Thakur.  Juglone: A therapeutic phytochemical from Juglans regia L. , 2011 .

[26]  H. Sanders.  Herbicides: An expanding array of chemicals is the most powerful weapon in the relentless war against weeds , 1981 .