Common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) is well known for its weed-suppressive ability. This property is probably due to multiple factors such as resource competition, allelopathy and soil property modifications. A better understanding of the mechanisms of weed suppression could improve the development of new strategies for weed management using cover crops. In this review, the different factors that could be potentially responsible for weed suppression by common buckwheat are discussed. Special emphasis is put on the role of allelopathy.
