Allelopathic plants. 2. Lespedeza cuneata

Lespedeza cuneata is a perennial legume crop used to protect soil from eros ion, beneficial to infertile soils and recommended for planting with some g rasses to improve productivity. It is an allelopathic plant as evident from : (a). Establishment of some plants species in its crop field require high seed rates to overcome the inhibitory allelopathic effects of its root exu dates or residues. (b). Nitrogen fertiliser is needed to compensate for all elopathic effects in early stages of succeeding crop. (c). Phenolic compoun ds (tannins) and other substances (i.e, organic acids, terpenoids) present in its plants are suspected allelopathic agents. Further investigations are needed to find out, to use these allelopathic effects of L. cuneata in a p ositive direction, such as pest control etc.