Herbicide Toxicity Testing
Pesticide Usage
Lab 3
Outline
¥ Herbicide Toxicity Testing
¥ Selectivity and Activity
¥ Herbicides and Properties
¥ Toxicity Testing Procedures
¥ Herbicide Toxicity Assignment
¥ Rating Weed Control and Crop Injury
Plant Toxicity Testing
¥ Screen for new experimental herbicides
¥ Screen for resistance
¥ Grower observation
—test product prior to
application
Herbicide Selectivity
¥ Non-selective —all vegetation affected
¥ Selective —target species affected
—true selectivity
—placement
¥ Plant Tolerance to Herbicides
—detoxification
¥ Plant Resistance
—mutation, metabolism, altered enzyme kinetics
Herbicide Activity
¥ Mode of Action
— Photosynthesis — Membrane disruptors
— Growth regulators — Mitosis
— Enzyme inhibitors — Lipid synthesis
¥ Contact —injury to plant tissues contacted
— Non-mobile
¥ Systemic —translocated throughout plant
— Mobile
¥ Preemergence (PRE) —prior to emergence
¥ Postemergence (POST) —after emergence
PRE Herbicides
Trade Common Chemical Mode of Action
Name Name Family
Seedling growth
Pennant Metolachlor Chloroacetamide
inhibitor
Prowl Pendimethalin Dinitroaniline Mitosis inhibitor
Carotenoid
Command Clomazone Unclassified
synthesis inhibitor
Photosynthesis
Sencor Metribuzin Triazinone
inhibitor
Photosynthesis
Atrazine Atrazine Triazine
inhibitor
Metolachlor
¥ Seedling growth inhibitor
¥ Good crop safety- corn, soybean, peanut
¥ Controls grasses, small-seeded broadleaves
Pendimethalin
¥ Mitosis inhibitor ¥ Good crop safety
¥ Primary effects on roots —corn, cotton, soybean,
vegetables, tobacco
¥ Translocation limited
Clomazone
¥ Pigment inhibitor
¥ Xylem mobile
¥ Bleaching
¥ Volatile
¥ Carry-over
¥ Soybean, cucurbits
Metribuzin
¥ Photosynthesis inhibitor
¥ PRE or POST applications
¥ Some annual broadleaves and grasses
¥ Xylem mobile
¥ Soybean, corn,
tomato, alfalfa
Atrazine
¥ Photosynthesis inhibitor
¥ PRE or POST
¥ Primarily broadleaf herbicide
¥ Xylem mobile
¥ Carry-over
¥ Resistance
POST Herbicides —Non-Selective
Trade Common Chemical Mode of
Name Name Family Action
Amino acid
Amino Acid
Roundup Glyphosate synthesis
Derivatives
inhibitor
Membrane
Gramoxone Paraquat Bipyridilium
disruptor
Glyphosate
¥ Phloem mobile, systemic
¥ Amino Acid Synthesis inhibitor (EPSPS)
¥ Usually slow death 10 — 14 DAT
¥ Symptoms appear in new growth first
—Chlorosis, Necrosis
¥ Burndown, harvest aid
¥ Resistance — Crops and Weeds
Paraquat
¥ Cell membrane ¥ Burndown, harvest
disruptors aid, directed sprays
¥ Contact herbicide ¥ Rapid necrosis
POST Herbicides - Selective
Trade Common Chemical Mode of
Name Name Family Action
Lipid synthesis
Poast Sethoxydim Cyclohexanedione
inhibitor
Accent Nicosulfuron Sulfonylurea ALS inhibitor
Pursuit Imazethapyr Imidazolinone ALS inhibitor
Phenoxy Acetic Growth
2,4-D amine 2,4-D
Acid regulator
Phenoxy Acetic Growth
Butyrac 200 2,4-DB
Acid regulator
Reflex Fomesafen Diphenylether PPO inhibitor
Photosynthesis
Buctril Bromoxynil Nitrile
inhibitor
Sethoxydim
¥ Graminicide
¥ Lipid synthesis
inhibitor (ACCase)
¥ Kills growing point
of grasses
¥ Slow injury (7-14
days)
¥ Soybeans, alfalfa
Nicosulfuron
¥ ALS — inhibitor ¥ Safe to humans,
¥ Sulfonylurea wildlife
¥ Low use rates ¥ Perennial and annual
¥ Systemic grass control
Imazethapyr
¥ ALS — inhibitor
¥ Imidazolinone
¥ Use in soybeans,
alfalfa, IMI corn
¥ Controls broadleaves
2,4-D
¥ Growth regulator
¥ Used on grass crops
— corn, wheat
¥ Control of
broadleaves
¥ High volatility —
injures sensitive
crops
2,4-DB
¥ Growth regulator
¥ Crop use: soybeans, alfalfa
¥ Controls broadleaves
¥ Symptoms similar to 2,4 - D
Fomesafen
¥ Diphenylether
¥ Membrane disruptor
¥ Contact herbicide
¥ Bronzing
¥ Crop injury
Bromoxynil
¥ Photosynthesis inhibitor
¥ Contact herbicide
¥ Corn, wheat, alfalfa, BXN cotton
PROCEDURES
¥ Crop species
—Corn, soybean, wheat,
sorghum, alfalfa,
Kentucky bluegrass
¥ Weed species
—Velvetleaf, redroot
pigweed, jimsonweed,
giant foxtail, large
crabgrass, annual
bluegrass
PROCEDURES — cont.
¥ POST flats ¥ PRE flats
— Planted 1/9/03 — Planted 1/29/03
— Treated 2/3/03 at label — Treated 1/30/03 at label
rates rates
¥ Application
— Table sprayer
— 25 GPA
— 18 at 0.95 mph
— TeeJet 8001EVS
— Mix Size: 1 liter
— 1:1 mix of potting soil and
field soil
ASSIGNMENT
¥ Evaluate effect of each herbicide on each
crop and weed species
¥ Compare to untreated control
¥ Observations:
—Weed control and crop injury ratings
—Common symptoms of each herbicide
—Rate of activity
—Determine typical use in cropping situation
Visual Injury Ratings
100
90
80
70
Control (%)
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
No Effect Slight Effect Moderate Severe Complete
Effect Effect Effect
