Allelopathy and sustainable weed management in the era of herbicide resistance and regulatory restrictions

For decades, chemical weed control has played a crucial role in agriculture by controlling weeds and ensuring sustainable crop productivity. Years of relying on herbicides with the same mode of action have accelerated the development of resistant weed biotypes. Today, this agronomic challenge is further complicated by strict European Union regulations, which restrict chemical control options through the gradual phase-out of key active ingredients. The use of non-chemical weed control methods within the framework of Integrated Weed Management (IWM) is now essential for long-term sustainable food production. In this context, allelopathy represents a sustainable ecological approach that utilizes plants and their bioactive allelochemicals to suppress weed interference. This review evaluates agroecological alternatives to herbicide dependence, focusing on the application of allelopathic aqueous extracts and essential oils, while specifically highlighting the potential of allelochemicals as natural herbicides. Embedding allelopathy within IWM frameworks shifts the focus from conventional chemical control toward novel strategies. By introducing alternative biological suppression pathways through allelopathic crop management, this agroecological approach effectively diversifies selection pressures and stalls resistance development. The successful integration of these strategies within modern agriculture can substantially mitigate herbicide dependency and enhance ecosystem stability.