Mechanisms of Herbicide Action

Abstract

Mechanism-of-action research has been intimately involved in the suc­ cessful development of the discipline of chemical weed control since its in­ ception approximately 20 years ago. The economic significance of the rapid developments in the discipline during the last decade is indicated by the fact that during 1962, in the United States alone, more than 300 million pounds of herbicides were applied on approximately 85 million acres of agricultural land at a cost of more than 200 million dollars. During the early years, research on mechanism of action of herbicides lagged behind technological developments in their utilization and applica­ tion. But, in the past 10 years emphasis on the fundamental aspects of selective weed control has mushroomed. Research on the fate of herbicides in plants-accumulation patterns, metabolism, and persistence-has devel­ oped primarily during the past five years. The purpose of this review is to discuss some of the recent progress in understanding the mechanisms 'through which herbicides selectiv ely inhibit