Allelopathy in ecological agriculture and forestry : proceedings of the III International Congress on Allelopathy in Ecological Agriculture and Forestry, Dharwad, India, 18-21 August, 1998

The rapidly growing human population has increased the dependence on fossil fuel based agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides to produce the required agricultural and forestry products. This has exerted a great pressure on the non­ renewable fossil fuel resources, which cannot last indefinitely. Besides, indiscriminate use ofpesticides for pests (weeds, insects, nematodes, pathogens) control has resulted in serious ecological and environmental problems viz. , (A) Increasing incidence of resistance in pest organisms to important pesticides. (B) Shift in pests population, particulary in weeds and insects. In weeds, species that are more closely related to the crops they infest have developed. In insects, scenario is most grim, the predators have been killed and minor insect pests have become major pests and require very heavy doses ofhighly toxic insecticides for their control. (C) Greater environmental pollution and health hazards (a) particularly from contamination of surface and underground drinking water resources and (b) from their inhalation during handling and application. (D) Toxic residues of pesticides pollute the environment and may prove hazardous to even our future generations. (E) Some agricultural commodities may contain minute quantities ofpesticides residues, with long tenn adverse effects on human and livestock health. Therefore, serious ecological questions about the reliance on pesticides for pests control has been raised. The use of fertilizers, besides causing environmental problems has also impoverished the soil health and decreased the beneficial soil fauna. For example, in some major crop rotations viz. The rapidly growing human population has increased the dependence on fossil fuel-based agrochemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, to produce the required agricultural and forestry products. This has exerted great pressure on non-renewable fossil fuel resources, which cannot last indefinitely. Not only do agrochemicals pollute the environment, but pests also become resistant to pesticides. Thus, present agricultural practices exploit natural resources, and damage fauna and flora and agroecosystems. One safe alternative to overcome these problems is the use of allelopathy to sustain development in agriculture and forestry and maintain a clean environment for future generations. This book is the Proceedings of the III International Congress on Allelopathy in Ecological Agriculture and Forestry, held on August 18-21, 1998, at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, Karnataka, India, and provides an updated status of current allelopathy research in various leading countries, with the overall aim of developing new technologies for ecological agriculture and forestry in the 21st century. To date, no book on ecological agriculture has discussed these aspects, hence it is the first time that such information is available. The chapter contributors are leading specialists in their fields, and all chapters have been peer-reviewed by international referees. This book will be indispensable for agricultural scientists (agronomists, entomologists, nematologists, plant pathologists, horticulturists, plant breeders, agroforesters, foresters, soil scientists), bioscientists (biochemists, organic chemists, plant ecologists, microbiologists and limnologists), environmentalists, graduate students and farmers, as well as for organizations engaged in sustainable agriculture and organic agriculture Front Matter....Pages i-x Front Matter....Pages xi-xi Proceedings of congress....Pages 1-9 Allelopathy in ecological agriculture....Pages 11-32 Allelopathic strategies for eco-friendly crop protection....Pages 33-46 Allelopathic interactions in soil....Pages 47-58 Eco-friendly technologies for management of phytoparasitic nematodes in pulses and vegetable crops....Pages 59-69 Front Matter....Pages 71-71 Plant and microbial compounds as herbicides....Pages 73-99 Discovery of the triketone class of HPPD inhibiting herbicides and their relationship to naturally occurring β-triketones....Pages 101-111 Phytotoxins as potential herbicides....Pages 113-128 Evaluation of selected pharmaceuticals as potential herbicides: bridging the gap between agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals....Pages 129-137 Front Matter....Pages 139-139 Allelopathic interactions in multiple cropping systems....Pages 141-157 Prospects of allelopathic research in multi-storey cropping systems....Pages 159-179 Front Matter....Pages 181-181 Allelopathy in forest ecosystems....Pages 183-193 Allelopathic interactions in agroforestry systems....Pages 195-207 Allelopathy research in agroforestry systems of South India....Pages 209-227 Tree allelopathy in agroforestry....Pages 229-235 Toxic allelochemicals in leguminous forages and their ecological significance....Pages 237-243 Back Matter....Pages 245-267 Proceedings of the III International Congress on Allelopathy in Ecological Agriculture and Forestry, Dharwad, India, 18-21 August 1998