Glufosinate Research Articles

Comparative Assessment of Individual and Mixture Chronic Toxicity of Glyphosate and Glufosinate Ammonium on Amphibian Tadpoles: A Multibiomarker Approach

Comparative Assessment of Individual and Mixture Chronic Toxicity of Glyphosate and Glufosinate Ammonium on Amphibian Tadpoles: A Multibiomarker Approach

Glyphosate, Glufosinate Ammonium, and Ampa Occurrences and Sources in Groundwater of Hilly Vineyards

Glyphosate, Glufosinate Ammonium, and Ampa Occurrences and Sources in Groundwater of Hilly Vineyards

Diversidade de plantas daninhas em função do preparo do solo e da aplicação do herbicida glufosinato de amônio

ABSTRACT Farmers in Indonesia generally spray herbicides to control weeds and use tillage during the early stages of crop cultivation; consequently, these activities affect the weed composition and diversity. This study aimed to evaluate the dominance and diversity index of weeds and obtain abundance correlations according to the soil chemical characteristics, as well as the effect of the ammonium glufosinate herbicide, in different tillage systems. A non-factorial randomized block design was used, consisting of no-tillage (NT), 1-time tillage (T1) and 2-times tillage (T2), with three replications. The Cyperus rotundus and Ageratum conyzoides weed species were dominant in the tillages. The diversity indices were 2.261, 2.196 and 2.234 (moderate/stable condition), respectively for the NT, T1 and T2. For T2, there were increases of 2.82-folds, 41 populations and 2.43-folds, respectively for A. conyzoides, Cynodon dactylon and Euphorbia heterophylla, when compared to NT, while a decrease was observed in grasses for T1 and T2 (50.71 and 26.05 %, respectively). Moreover, there was a positive and significant correlation for E. heterophylla according to the soil cation exchange capacity (0.727). In contrast, four new weed species (Glyceria maxima, Leersia oryzoides, Scoparia dulcis and Anthoxanthum oculatum) were found due to the ammonium glufosinate application, in the different tillage systems.

Enzymatic antioxidant defense system and ALA-D enzyme activity in soybean Enlist™ line

Enlist™ technology confers resistance to 2,4-D herbicides, glyphosate, and ammonium glufosinate for soybeans. However, the application of herbicides to plants can generate stress, even in resistant crops. Thus, here we evaluated whether the application of herbicides in transgenic soybean farms, resistant to these herbicides, adversely affects the activity of antioxidant enzymes and porphobilinogen formation by delta-aminolevulinate dehydratase (ALA-D) activity. At seven days after herbicide application, the aerial part of the plants was collected and used to determine the activity of antioxidant enzymes as catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and guaiacol peroxidase, such as lipid peroxidation levels and the activity of the ALA-D enzyme. At seven days after herbicide application, the aerial part of plants was collect and used to determine the activity of antioxidant enzymes, such as catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and guaiacol peroxidase, as well as the levels of lipid peroxidation and the activity of the ALA-D enzyme. The activity of important antioxidant enzymes involved in the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was increased in the soybean cultivar with the Enlist™ technology, while no severe damage to lipids was detected. However, the activity of ALA-D was inhibited, which could potentially impair the formation of porphobilinogen and decrease photosynthetic efficiency. Thus, these results indicate that herbicides can affect the activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes even in transgenic, herbicide-resistant plants.

Non-target effects of aqueous leaf extracts of mugwort (<em>Artemisia vulgaris</em>) and herbicides: Impact on nursery tea plants (<em>Camellia sinensis</em>)

The weed control potential of Artemisia vulgaris in tea lands has been reported. This study evaluated the non-target effects of the aqueous leaf extracts of A. vulgaris at 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/L (soilapplied, 40 ml/pot) on the growth of 7-months-old nursery tea plants (TRI 4006 and 4046) grown in black polythene bags with 1 kg topsoil. For comparison, commercial herbicides with different modes of action, i.e. Glyphosate, Diuron, MCPA, Pelargonic acid, Pine oil and Glufosinate ammonium, were soil-applied at recommended dosages, with distilled water as the control. Experiments were done in CRD with five replicates, with one plant/replicate. Leaf greenness (SPAD meter) at 20 days after treatment (DAT), visual observations of root growth, and shoot and root dry weights/plant were measured with destructive sampling at 30 DAT. Artemisia leaf extracts did not show significant negative impacts on the aboveground parameters of the tea plant compared to the control. The highest phytotoxicity on nursery tea plants was observed with MCPA (root cell damage; 100% plant mortality). The SPAD readings showed significant leaf chlorosis in TRI 4006 and TRI 4046 with Diuron and Glufosinate ammonium, compared to the control, Artemisia extracts, Pelargonic acid and Pine oil. Poor root growth with lesions was observed with 100 g/L Artemisia leaf extract but at a comparatively low degree to that of herbicides. As the non-target effects of A. vulgaris on tea plants were relatively lower, further studies are warranted to determine an effective dosage for weed control with minimum impact on tea plants and the environment.

Dissipation of Glyphosate and Glufosinate Ammonium in Soil and Weed Control in Citrus orchards, under Egyptian Conditions

Dissipation of Glyphosate and Glufosinate Ammonium in Soil and Weed Control in Citrus orchards, under Egyptian Conditions

Herbicide performance in the control of Conyza spp. where three plant heights

Intensive use of the herbicide glyphosate has led to herbicide resistant Conyza spp. populations. Thus, there is a need to indicate alternative herbicides and the appropriate developmental stage for controlling these populations. This study identifies alternatives for controlling glyphosate-resistant horseweed, with treatment applications at different plant heights. For this purpose, field experiments were conducted in the 2016/17 and 2017/18 crop years. The evaluated treatments were: glyphosate (540 g ae ha-1), glyphosate (1080 g ae ha-1), glyphosate (2160 g ae ha-1), glyphosate (3240 g ae ha-1), glyphosate + 2.4-D (1080 + 1005 g ae ha-1), glyphosate + saflufenacil (1080 + 49 g ae/ai ha-1), paraquat (400 g ai ha-1), diquat (400 g ai ha-1), ammonium glufosinate (600 g ai ha-1), and control (without application). These treatments were applied to plants with a maximum of 5 cm; plants between 6 and 15 cm; and plants between 16 and 25 cm. The results showed that glyphosate did not control weeds, regardless of rate. With the exception of 2,4-D, which needs complementation with sequential application of another contact herbicide, all alternatives were viable for the control of Conyza spp. plants with a maximum height of 5 cm.

Screening and Functional Verification of Selectable Marker Genes for Cordyceps militaris

The selectable marker genes are necessary resistance genes for gene knockout, gene complementation, and gene overexpression in filamentous fungi. Moreover, the more sensitive the filamentous fungi are to antibiotics, the more helpful it is to screen the target transformants. In order to obtain the antibiotic (or herbicide) which can effectively inhibit the growth of Cordyceps militaris and verify the function of the corresponding resistance gene in C. militaris, the sensitivity of C. militaris to hygromycin and glufosinate ammonium was compared to determine the resistance gene that was more suitable for the screening of C. militaris transformants. The binary vector of the selectable marker gene was constructed by combining the double-joint PCR (DJ-PCR) method and the homologous recombination method, and the function of the selectable marker gene in C. militaris was verified by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation method. The results showed that C. militaris was more sensitive to glufosinate ammonium than hygromycin. The growth of C. militaris could be completely inhibited by 250 μg/mL glufosinate ammonium. The expression cassette of the glufosinate ammonium resistance gene (bar gene) was successfully constructed by DJ-PCR. The binary vector pCAMBIA0390-Bar was successfully constructed by homologous recombination. The bar gene of the vector pCAMBIA0390-Bar was successfully integrated into the C. militaris genome and could be highly expressed in the transformants of C. militaris. This study will promote the identification of C. militaris gene function and reveal the biosynthetic pathways of bioactive components in C. militaris.

Assessment of glufosinate-containing herbicide exposure: A multi-center retrospective study.

Exposure to glufosinate ammonium, an herbicide used worldwide, can cause CNS and respiratory toxicities. This study aimed to analyze acute human glufosinate ammonium poisoning. This multicenter retrospective cohort study involved five medical institutes affiliated with the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital system. Patients with glufosinate ammonium exposure visiting the emergency department (ED) between January 2008 and December 2020 were included. In total, 95 patients were enrolled. Compared to exposure via the non-oral route, patients exposed orally (n = 61) had lower GCS scores, higher mortality rates, and longer hospital lengths of stay (P-value: <0.001, 0.002, and < 0.001, respectively). In the subgroup analysis among oral exposure patients, the survival group had a lower amount of estimated glufosinate ingestion than the non-survival group (10.5 [3.4-27] vs. 40.5 [27-47.3] g, P-value: 0.022), lower rate of substance co-exposure (9 [19.6%] vs. 10 [66.7%] P-value: 0.001), and lower rate of paraquat co-exposure (0 [0%] vs. 7 [46.7%] P < 0.001) compared with the mortality group. In the orally-exposed and non-paraquat co-exposure patients (n = 54), age > 70 years and GCS score < 9 at triage presented a high sensitivity (100.00%, 95% CI: 63.06-100.00%) and medium specificity (58.70%, 95% CI: 43.23-73.00%) in predicting mortality. Old age, change in consciousness, and paraquat co-exposure were associated with higher mortality in human glufosinate poisoning. Age > 70 years and GCS score < 9 at triage could be predictors of mortality in patients with acute oral glufosinate poisoning.

Effects of glufosinate-ammonium on male reproductive health: Focus on epigenome and transcriptome in mouse sperm

Glufosinate-ammonium (GLA) is a widely used herbicide with emerging concern over its neural and reproductive toxicity. To uncover potential effects of GLA on male reproductive health in mammals, adult male C57BL/6J mice were administered 0.2 mg/kg·d GLA for 5 weeks. After examination on fertility, testis histology and semen quality in the GLA group, we performed deep sequencing to identify repressive epigenetic marks including DNA methylation and histone modifications (H3K27me3 and H3K9me3), together with mRNA transcript levels in sperm. Then, we integrated multi-omics sequencing data to comprehensively explore GLA-induced epigenetic and transcriptomic alterations. We found no significant difference either on fertility, testis histology or semen quality-related indicators. As for epigenome, the protein level of H3K27me3 was significantly increased in GLA sperm. Next generation sequencing showed alterations of these epigenetic marks and extensive transcription inhibition in sperm. These differential repressive marks were mainly distributed at intergenic regions and introns. According to results by Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, both differentially methylated and expressed genes were mainly enriched in pathways related to synapse organization. Subtle differences in genomic imprinting were also observed between the two groups. These results suggested that GLA predominantly impaired sperm epigenome and transcriptome in mice, with little effect on fertility, testis histology or semen quality. Further studies on human sperm using similar strategies need to be conducted for a better understanding of the male reproductive toxicity of GLA.

Glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium, herbicides commonly used on genetically modified crops, and their interaction with microplastics: Ecotoxicity in anuran tadpoles

The effects of glyphosate (GLY)-based and glufosinate ammonium (GA)-based herbicides (GBH and GABH, respectively) and polyethylene microplastic particles (PEMPs) on Scinax squalirostris tadpoles were assessed. Tadpoles were exposed to nominal concentrations of both herbicides (from 1.56 to 100 mg L−1) and PEMPs (60 mg L−1), either alone or in combination, and toxicity evaluated at 48 h. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), carboxylesterase (CbE), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities were analyzed at the three lowest concentrations (1.56, 3.12 and 6.25 mg L−1, survival rates >85%) of both herbicides alone and with PEMPs. Additionally, the thermochemistry of the interactions between the herbicides and polyethylene (PE) was analyzed by Density Functional Theory (DFT). The median-lethal concentration (LC50) was 43.53 mg L−1 for GBH, 38.56 mg L−1 for GBH + PEMPs, 7.69 for GABH, and 6.25 mg L−1 for GABH+PEMPs. The PEMP treatment increased GST but decreased CbE activity, whereas GBH and GABH treatments increased GST but decreased AChE activity. In general, the mixture of herbicides with PEMPs increased the effect observed in the individual treatments: the highest concentration of GBH + PEMPs increased GST activity, whereas GABH+PEMP treatments decreased both AChE and CbE activities. DFT analysis revealed spontaneous interactions between the herbicides and PE, leading to the formation of bonds at the herbicide-PE interface, significantly stronger for GA than for GLY. The experimental and theoretical findings of our study indicate that these interactions may lead to an increase in toxicity when pollutants are together, meaning potential environmental risk of these combinations, especially in the case of GA.

A simple method for the determination of glyphosate, glufosinate and their metabolites in biological specimen by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry: an application for forensic toxicology.

ABSTRACTGlyphosate (GLYP) and glufosinate (GLUF) are phosphorus-containing amino acid type herbicides that are used worldwide. With their rising consumptions, fatal intoxication cases due to these herbicides, whether accidental or intentional, cannot be ignored. Both compounds are difficult to detect, and their pretreatment for instrumental analysis are complicated and time-consuming. Our aim was to develop a simple and rapid quantification method for the two herbicides and their metabolites with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). We also compared 2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid and DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid as alternative internal standards (IS) to GLYP13C215N. Herbicide-containing specimens were highly diluted, evaporated to dryness, and derivatized with acetate/acetic anhydride and trimethyl orthoacetate for 30 min. at 120°C. Our optimized LC conditions successfully separated the target analytes, with acceptable linearities (R2>0.98) and matrix effects (65%–140%). Accuracy and precision ranged from 80.2 % to 111 %, and from 1.3 % to 13 % at the higher concentration, respectively.The concentration of the herbicides and their metabolites were investigated in a postmortem case of suspected herbicide poisoning cases, in which we detected GLYP and its metabolites. Using one of the three ISs, the GLYP concentrations ranged from 3.1 to 3.5 mg/mL, and 3.3 to 4.5 mg/mL in plasma and urine, respectively; GLYP metabolite concentrations in plasma and urine were 18 to 20 μg/mL and 44 to 54 μg/mL. We thus succeeded in developing a rapid method without extraction for measuring GLYP and GLUF along with their metabolites, and demonstrated its practical applicability.

Major component causing neurological toxicity in acute glufosinate ammonium poisoning: determination of glufosinate, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, and ammonia in serum and cerebrospinal fluid

Objective To determine the primary contributor to neurotoxicity in patients with glufosinate ammonium (GLA) poisoning, by quantifying glufosinate, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, and ammonia in serum and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Materials and methods We collected and analysed data from confirmed cases of GLA poisoning between May 2018 and August 2020. Based on the occurrence of neurological complications (mental change, seizure, and central apnoea), patients were assigned to one of two groups: those with complications (NCx) and without (non-NCx) complications. Concentrations of glufosinate, 1-methoxy-2-propanol (1M2P), and ammonia were measured in the serum upon admission and during hospital stay. The concentrations of all these substances were again measured in the CSF following a decline in the mental status or seizure (NCx group) or on the day after hospitalisation (non-NCx group). Results Of the 20 patients included, ammonia levels in the serum and CSF at onset of altered sensorium in the NCx group (n = 16) were significantly higher than those at one day after hospitalisation in the non-NCx group (n = 4) (p = 0.011 in serum, p = 0.047 in CSF), with its concentration in the CSF being higher than that in the serum in 15/16 cases. The concentration of 1M2P was similar in the serum and CSF (8/16), but the concentrations of glufosinate (7/16) was lower in the CSF than in the serum. In the non-NCx group (n = 4), only ammonia was detectable. Conclusions Among patients with GLA poisoning, increased CSF ammonia was significantly correlated with neurological complications.

Phytochemical Constituents and Allelopathic Potential of Parthenium hysterophorus L. in Comparison to Commercial Herbicides to Control Weeds.

The allelopathic effect of various concentrations (0, 6.25, 12.5, 50 and 100 g L−1) of Parthenium hysterophorus methanol extract on Cyperus iria was investigated under laboratory and glasshouse conditions. No seed germination was recorded in the laboratory when P. hysterophorus extract was applied at 50 g L−1. In the glasshouse, C. iria was mostly injured by P. hysterophorus extract at 100 g L−1. The phytochemical constituents of the methanol extract of P. hysterophorus were analyzed by LC-ESI-QTOF-MS=MS. The results indicated the presence of phenolic compounds, terpenoids, alkaloids, amino acids, fatty acids, piperazines, benzofuran, indole, amines, azoles, sulfonic acid and other unknown compounds in P. hysterophorus methanol extract. A comparative study was also conducted between P. hysterophorus extract (20, 40 and 80 g L−1) with a synthetic herbicide (glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium at 2 L ha−1) as a positive control and no treatment (negative control) on Ageratum conyzoides, Oryza sativa and C. iria. The growth and biomass of test weeds were remarkably inhibited by P. hysterophorus extract. Nevertheless, no significant difference was obtained when P. hysterophorus extract (80 g L−1) and synthetic herbicides (glyphosate and glufosinate ammonium) were applied on A. conyzoides.

Establishment of a HPLC-MS/MS Detection Method for Glyphosate, Glufosinate-Ammonium, and Aminomethyl Phosphoric Acid in Tea and Its Use for Risk Exposure Assessment.

The tea shrub is grown in long-standing orchards, an environment that is suitable for persistent weed growth, which is increasingly controlled by herbicides. Therefore, there is increasing concern that tea consumers may be exposed to herbicide residues. In this study, the levels of glufosinate-ammonium (GLU), glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine; PMG], and its metabolite aminomethyl phosphoric acid (AMPA) were determined in tea samples by HPLC-MS/MS using several current purification methods and a new method that we developed herein. The matrix effect of our proposed method was between -27.3 and 27.7%, which was lower than that in other methods, indicating that this method effectively reduced the interference of tea matrix in the mass spectrometry process. This method was used to determine the levels of PMG, GLU, and AMPA in 780 samples, including six traditional Chinese teas (green tea, black tea, oolong tea, dark tea, white tea, and yellow tea) and a floral tea, from 14 provinces of China. Probability estimates showed that the 95th percentile risk entropy values of the three pesticide residues were far below the acceptable risk level. The risk assessment results showed that exposure to PMG, GLU, and AMPA caused by drinking tea beverages poses no significant risk to human health.

Efficacy of tank mixture glufosinate ammonium and indaziflam for weed control in oil palm

The apprehension among oil palm farmers on the toxicity of glyphosate necessitated the need for an alternative herbicide for weed control in oil palm. Thus, a study was conducted at the Ni­gerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) to determine the efficacy of tank mixture of glu­fosinate ammonium (Basta) + indaziflam (Alion) for weed control in oil palm. The treatments consisted of glyphosate at 1.5 kg a.i ha-1, glyphosate + diuron at 1.5+2.0 kg a.i. ha-1, glufosinate ammonium at 0.4 kg a.i. ha-1, glufosinate ammonium at 0.5 kg a.i. ha-1, tank mixture of glufos­inate ammonium + indaziflam at 0.4 + 0.04 kg a.i. ha-1, tank mixture of glufosinate ammonium + indaziflam at 0.5 + 0.04 kg a.i. ha-1and weedy control. The results showed that tank mixture of glyphosate + diuron at 1.5 + 2 kg a.i ha-1, glufosinate ammonium + indaziflam at 0.4 + 0.04 kg a.i. ha-1 and glufosinate ammonium + indaziflam at 0.5 + 0.04 had the best weed control efficiency of 78.5%, 78.6% and 78.3% respectively up to 20 weeks. The study concluded that tank mixtures of glufosinate ammonium + indaziflam were as good as glyphosate + diuron for weed control in oil palm.

CHEMICAL CONTROL OF ADULT SOURGRASS IN COFFEE CROPS, THROUGH VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS

Weed management in coffee plants is carried out largely through the adoption of chemical control, with the use of herbicides. In this context, one of the species that most affects the development of coffee plants, and due to its difficulty in control, is sourgrass. Above all, most sourgrass biotypes are not efficiently controlled with the herbicide glyphosate, which is the most used in coffee growing. Thus, the search for strategies that can minimize the damage caused by this weed, appears with increasing demand, due to the great damage to coffee plants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical control of adult sourgrass in coffee plants, through several associations. Treatment control efficiency was visually evaluated, where a scale ranging from 0 to 100 was used, with 0 corresponding to the absence of symptoms and 100 corresponding to the total control of weed plants by the action of herbicides, respectively. This evaluation method was used at 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days after application. The data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using the SISVAR statistical software. The association of the herbicides Fluazifop-p-butyl and Clethodim, implies greater efficiency in controlling sourgrass over time. The association of the herbicide ammonium glufosinate with systemic herbicides implies a reduction in the control capacity of sourgrass plants over time.

A method to assess glyphosate, glufosinate and aminomethylphosphonic acid in soil and earthworms

A new sensitive and selective analytical methodology to quantify glyphosate (GLY), aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), and glufosinate (GLU) in both soil and earthworms (Allolobophora chlorotica) was developed. The extraction and purification methods were optimized. The samples were extracted with various aqueous solutions (HNO3, H2O, KOH and borate buffer) and derivatized with 9-Fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOCCl). To optimize the extraction step, a method to remove the excess FMOCCl was applied based on liquid-liquid extraction with diethyl ether. The purification of derivatized extracts was carried out using XLB solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridges before internal standard quantification by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The elution step was optimized to obtain the best recoveries possible, which was with acidic methanol (1% formic acid) (67% for GLY, 70% for GLU and 65% for AMPA). The extraction and purification method followed by analysis of the two herbicides and AMPA in soils using LC/MS/MS determined limit of quantification (LOQ) values of 0.030 μg g − 1 for GLY, 0.025 μg g − 1 for AMPA and 0.020 µg g − 1 for GLU . For earthworms, LOQ were 0.23 μg g − 1 for GLY, 0.20 μg g − 1 for AMPA and 0.12 μg g − 1 for GLU. .The developed method was applied to determine these compounds in natural soils and earthworms.

Impact of Herbicide Treatments on the Construction Materials in the Roman Wall of Lugo, Spain (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Combined laboratory and field research examining the possible alterations caused by herbicide treatments applied to the construction materials (schist and some granite, bound with mortar) in the Roman wall of Lugo (NW Spain), declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2000, was performed in three separate studies in the past 20 years. In the summers of 1998 and 1999, the herbicides glyphosate, sulphosate and glufosinate–ammonium, as well as physical treatments (infrared and burning) were separately applied to different areas of the wall. In the spring of 2016, the oxyfluorfen herbicide Goal Supreme® was applied to test areas. In the winter of 2018, three essential oils, Origanum vulgare L., Thymus zygis Loefl. ex L., and Thymus vulgaris L., were each applied to test areas. Mineralogical modifications in the materials (determined by X-ray diffraction analysis), as well as visible physical changes, such as colour changes, and the appearance of saline residues were evaluated after the treatments. In the 1998/9 trial, glyphosate and both physical treatments triggered changes in the vermiculite clay minerals in the schists, and the physical treatments also caused changes in the kaolinite. None of the treatments caused highly perceptible colour changes. The oxyfluorfen herbicide did not cause any mineralogical alterations in the construction materials, but it did generate an increase in chloride, nitrate and sulphate contents of the granite and a slight darkening of this material. In the most recent study, the only deleterious effect observed was a perceptible increase in lightness and reduction in the yellow component after the application of Thymus zygis Loefl. ex L. essential oil to granite.

Herbicides doses in the defoliation of common bean to anticipate mechanized harvesting

Abstract Background The use of desiccant herbicides can allow the anticipation of common bean harvesting by providing a reduction in the humidity of plants and grains. Objective Determine the effect of doses of desiccant herbicides on the moisture content of the plants (stems, leaves and grains), in the 100 grains mass, grain yield and physiological quality of the seeds of two contrasting common bean cultivars. Methods The experimental design for each cultivar (BRS FC 104, super early cycle, 60 days from sowing to harvesting and BRS Estilo, normal cycle, 90 days from sowing to harvesting) as in randomized blocks in the factorial scheme 4 x 3 x 4, with four replications. Treatments consisted of four herbicides (ammonium glufosinate (200 g L-1 of active ingredient, ai), glyphosate (480 g L-1 of acid equivalent), diquat (200 g L-1 of ai) and paraquat (200 g L-1 of ai), with three doses (200 g L-1, 400 g L-1 and 600 g L-1 of ai per ha for ammonium glufosinate, diquat and paraquat, and 480 g L-1, 960 g L-1 and 1,440 g L-1 of ae per ha for glyphosate) with evaluations of the variables at 0, 3, 5 and 7 days after application of the herbicide. Results All desiccants used provided faster drying of the botanical structures allowing faster harvesting in relation to control plants. The dosage of 200 g L-1 of the ai ha1 in the cultivar BRS FC 104 and 1,440 g L-1 of ae per ha for glyphosate and 600 g L-1 of ai per ha for the others dessicants in the cultivar BRS Estilo were those that provided best plant drying. The use of desiccants in plants of common bean did not affect crop grain yield. The dosage of 600 g L-1 of ai per ha of the ammonium glufosinate desiccant provided a reduction in vigor and normal seedlings and an increase in abnormal seedlings in the cultivar BRS FC 104. Conclusion All desiccant herbicides used allowed anticipation of common bean harvesting.