Abstract
Sub-lethal doses of herbicides can promote plant growth and have a positive effect on an organism this is called hormesis. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of sub-lethal doses of glyphosate on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) (1.8, 3.6, 7.2, 36, 180, and 720 g ha−1) and Amaranthus retroflexus L. (7.2, 36, 180, 720, 1440, and 2880 g ha−1). Different biological parameters, such as phytotoxicity, fresh weight, root length, content of photosynthetic pigments, and shikimate concentration, were measured. Glyphosate in doses of 1440 and 2880 g ha−1 destroyed A. retroflexus plants. A fresh weight of A. retroflexus at a dose of 36 g ha−1 was reduced by 76.31%, while for the soybean it was reduced by 19.26%. At the highest dose, the shikimate concentration was 145% in the soybean, while in A. retroflexus, the concentration increased by 58.80% compared to the control plants. All doses of glyphosate were statistically significantly different in terms of chlorophyll a content, while higher doses in A. retroflexus caused chlorophyll b to decrease. The change in the production of carotenoids was not statistically significant. The results showed that sub-lethal amounts of glyphosate did not lead to stimulation of measured parameters of soybean.
Highlights
For more than a century, it has been recorded that some substances at low doses can be beneficial, while in higher doses they are lethal [1]
Calabrese and Baldwin [3] found more than 9000 examples of hormesis induced by medications, pesticides or radiation treatments, and all results depended on the dose used for each substance
In crop species and weeds, glyphosate hormesis is observed with optimal hormetic doses, usually varying from 1.8 to 3.6 g ha−1
Summary
For more than a century, it has been recorded that some substances at low doses can be beneficial, while in higher doses they are lethal [1]. Calabrese and Baldwin [3] found more than 9000 examples of hormesis induced by medications, pesticides or radiation treatments, and all results depended on the dose used for each substance Various studies conducted both under laboratory and field conditions showed that some herbicides can stimulate plant growth when applied at low doses (
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