Allelopathic Plants. 19. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L)

Barley is integrated with other crops to inhibit weed growth, through allelopathic interactions. Effects of barley on growth of other crops, weeds and autotoxicity among cultivars result primarily from allelopathy mediated by allelochemicals released from plant components and/or exuded from living roots. A limited number of allelochemicals are identified that contributes to allelopathic effectiveness of barley. High allelopathic effectiveness of barley has resulted in its wide adoption as a cover crop in sustainable agricultural systems for weed management. The allelopathic effectiveness varies among the barley cultivars, hence, selection programmes might improve the allelopathic potential of new cultivars used for weed management. Allelochemicals in barley may be candidates for natural herbicides and innovative approaches for integrating barley cover cropping with other cultural practices to improve the sustainable or ecologically-based weed management.