Detrimental interactions among plants are expressed by competition for nutrients, chemical interferences and/or parasitism. Root exudates have an enormous potential at the modulation of these three mechanisms. These exudates play a key role as "phytoalexins release routes", being the allelochemicals, which regulate the chemical interactions, an example. This review presents the most recent findings on the currently used methodologies for the study of the exudation phenomenon. The methodologies for the sampling and analysis of such chemicals, as well as all other factors considered to increase the production of root exudates, are also examined.
exudate; root; allelopathy
