Several secondary metabolites produced by plants can be used as herbicides. These products are expected to offer fewer risks to the environment and to meet social demands. However, the availability of compounds is very limited, so synthesis is an alternative. The objective of this work was to evaluate the allelopathic activity of synthetic chalcone, 2,4'-dimethoxychalcone, its precursors, 4-methoxyacetophenone (A) and ortho-anisaldehyde (B), and some of their chemical alterations. The bioassays were developed under 25 ºC and photoperiod of 12 hours. The allelopathic effects of the compounds were tested on seed germination of Mimosa pudica and Senna obtusifolia weeds, under a concentration of 100, 200 and 300 mg L-1 of the compounds. The results indicated that precursor A (4-methoxyacetophenone) plays an important role in allelopathic activity of the chalcones. These results show that synthesis is a possible pathway, helping to overcome problems such as characterization and isolation of natural products with herbicidal activity against weed species.
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