Zeynab Jehooni Nezhad - Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, ۷۱۴۵۴, Iran
Javad Karimi - Department of Biology, School of Science, Shiraz University, Shiraz, ۷۱۴۵۴, Iran Centre for Environmental Studies and Emerging Pollutants (ZISTANO), ShirazUniversity, Shiraz, ۷۱۴۵۴۵, Iran

Microalgae are photosynthetic organisms that have been used for a variety of applications,including food, biofuels, and wastewater treatment. Recently, there has been increasing interestin microalgae allelopathy, which is the phenomenon of microalgae releasing chemicals thatinhibit the growth of other organisms. In this review, we discuss the potential of microalgaeallelopathy as a sustainable source for bio-herbicidal compounds and its application in biocontrolresearch. We begin with an overview of allelopathy and allelochemicals, and then discuss thevarious allelochemicals that have been identified from microalgae. We also review the potentialapplications of microalgae allelochemicals in weed control, including the use of allelopathicmicroalgae as a cover crop and as a natural alternative to synthetic herbicides. Finally, wediscuss the potential for microalgae allelopathy in biocontrol research and the challenges thatneed to be addressed in order to fully exploit the potential of microalgae allelopathy forsustainable agriculture.

Allelopathic Compounds, Microalgae, Safe, Bio-herbicide Application