A phenomenon that many people do not know is that nearby organisms have the ability to communicate or interact with each other through chemical compounds. This is what is called as allelopathy and, for example, a very simple case is the relationship between plants near each other in a garden. This is known as the association of crops and also serves the organic control of plants in plants.
In this ecology article, we will see more about the allelopathy: what is, its types and examples.
What is allelopathy
The Simple allelopathy definition It is that it is a biological phenomenon in which an organism generates biochemical compounds that have influence on the survival, growth or reproduction of other organisms. These compounds can represent beneficial effects (Positive allelopathy) or harmful (Negative allelopathy) For receiving agencies. Among these compounds are aliphatic compounds such as acids or alcohols, lipids, fatty acids, terpenes or aromatic compounds. The release of the compounds can occur in volatile form, through leachate or exudate of their roots. The effect of allelopathy is not total for good or for worse, but varies in degrees according to the characteristics of the organisms involved.
The Organic Agriculture He takes advantage of this phenomenon when protecting crops from certain insects or pests by placing aromatic plants, such as placing rue near potato crops.
There are natural products that are used by their biological characteristics such as pesticides, herbicides, inhibitors or growth stimulants and antibiotics. The effects of these products are varied, such as germination inhibition, inhibition or stimulation of the growth of neighboring plants, avoiding shares of insects and animal consuming animals or preventing the harmful effects of viruses, bacteria and fungi. Natural products are an important part of plant defense mechanisms and are biodegradable.
Types of allelopathy
Among the Types of allelopathy are those that occur between fruit trees, which is known as Autotoxicity or autoalelopathyand those between herbaceous plant species on fruit species or heterotoxicity.
Biological control with plants has been used for a long time in agriculture to repel or attract insects, worms and other disease agents. Examples of usually used plants are aromatic, vegetables, medicinal plants and “weeds.” The Types of biological pest control which are generally used are repellent plants, accompanying plants or trap crops.
Accompanying plants
They are also known as Related plants and provide mutual benefit to other plants. These benefits can be in the germination of seed, development and growth or, even, in the flavor and aroma of the final crops. Related plants or companions must be sown in the vicinity of the crop so that their substances emitted are absorbed by the other plant. For example, ortigas close to aromatic plants lead to an increase in their aromatic quality.
Repellent plants
These are plants that with their strong aroma keep insects away from crops. There are plants that are specific to a specific type of insect and others that are more general. These plants can be sown inside the crop or bordering it as a protective barrier and have an area of influence up to 10 meters away.
Trap crops
These are plants that attract harmful insects by moving them away from the main crop. These are sown in the perimeter of the crop that you want to protect, or also among the other plants, to concentrate the pests and then catch them and eliminate them. Another use of these plants is to help reproduce predators or pest parasites that affect the garden.
Allelopathy examples
Some allelopathy examples that we can cite in each of the groups are:
Accompanying plants
- Garlic with onions, strawberries, lettuce or tomatoes.
- Celery with choles, beans, leeks or tomatoes.
- Peppers with eggplants, parsley, tomatoes or lettuce.
- Potato with garlic, calendula, beans or celery.
- Onions with beets, cucumbers, tomatoes or carrots.
- Tomatoes with garlic, basil, leeks or carrots.
To learn more examples of this type, you can consult this other ecology article about vegetables that grow well together.
Repellent plants
- The basil acts as a repellent in front of the red spider, white fly or aphids.
- The mint makes repellent in front of ants, white fly or mice.
- Oregano repels ants, flies or aphids.
- Salvia repels but butterflies of the cabbage, white flies or aphids.
Trap crops
- The dill attracts tender worms.
- Ivy attract bedbugs and mites.
- Mustard attracts foliage dining worms.
- Tobacco attracts the white fly.
- The clover attracts the cabbage fly.
- The rue attracts flies and moths.
Below you can see a video that deals with this interesting theme of plants’ communication.
If you want to read more articles similar to Allelopathy: what is, types and exampleswe recommend that you enter our biology category.
