Climate change, marked by rising temperatures and fluctuating precipitation, threatens agricultural systems globally, with arid regions in Africa being particularly vulnerable. Climate change has significant implications for the biology and biochemistry of plants and crops, which impacts the allelopathic interactions between crops and weeds. Allelopathy is a potential natural solution for enhancing crop resilience and weed management. This systematic review explores the intersection of plant–crop biology, biochemistry, and allelopathy under climate change conditions, emphasizing species-specific responses and the effects of temperature and precipitation changes.
Species such as sorghum, millet, and invasive weeds like Striga respond to allelopathy when subjected to drought and heat stress, with some plants showing enhanced allelopathic activity as a defense mechanism. This study evaluates how these gene expression changes can be harnessed in agronomic practices to improve crop performance and sustainability. For example, breeding programs could integrate allelopathic traits with drought tolerance, leading to the development of plant varieties that are naturally competitive against weeds and resilient to water scarcity. Such strategies could reduce the dependence on chemical herbicides, promote sustainable agriculture, and enhance food security in arid African regions.
This systematic review compares how different crops and weeds, particularly those found in arid African environments, respond to climate-induced stress.
The paper concludes by discussing the potential benefits for African agriculture, particularly in terms of yield stability, environmental sustainability, and resource conservation. This integration of allelopathic gene expression with agronomic practices offers a promising avenue for mitigating the impacts of climate change while promoting agriculture in arid regions of Africa.