An introduction to herbicide action; Reaching the target; Oxigen toxicity and herbicidal action; Microtubule disruptors; Herbicide effects on lipid synthesis; Nucleic acid and protein synthesis inhibitors; Inhibition of amino acid biosysnthesis; Herbicides with auxin activity; Other sites of herbicide action; Secondary physiological effects of herbicides; Herbicide interactions with herbicides, synergists, and safeners; Naturally occurring chemicals as herbicides.

Herbicides are part of modern agricultural production systems and therefore contribute significantly to the economy of agricultural products. At the same time, herbicides are potent and specific inhibitors of plant metabolism and may therefore be used as valuable tools in basic plant physiological research. A well-known example is the photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicide diuron, known to plant physiologists as DCMU, which has become one of the essentials in modern photosynthesis research. Similarly, knowledge in other areas of plant metabolism may be advanced by the use of herbicides as specific inhibitors. This book describes the effects of herbicides on the metabolism of higher plants from the viewpoint of the plant physiologist. The material of this book is therefore, as far as possible, divided into areas of metabolism. This book intends (1) to present the reader with current knowledge and views in the area of herbicide modes of action and (2) to promote the future use of herbicides as metabolic inhibitors in plant physiological research to the advantage of both, the pesticide and the plant sciences. I wish to express my thanks to my colleagues and friends Prof. N. Amrhein, Prof. E. Elstner, Dr. L. Eue, Dr. J. Konze, Dr. K. Liirssen, Dr. W.Oettmeier, Dr. H. Quader, Dr. R. R. Schmidt, Dr. R. H. Shimabukuro, Dr. J. Stetter, Prof.

Herbicides make a spectacular contribution to modern crop production. Yet, for the development of more effective and safer agrochemicals, it is essential to understand how these compounds work in plants and their surroundings. This expanded and fully revised second edition of Herbicides and Plant Physiology provides a comprehensive and up-to-date account of how modern herbicides interact with target plants, and how they are used to manage crop production. In addition, the text: Provides a current account of the importance of weeds to crop yield and quality; Describes how new herbicides are discovered and developed; Examines precise sites of herbicide action and mechanisms of herbicide selectivity and resistance; Reviews commercial and biotechnological applications, including genetically engineered herbicide resistance in crops; Suggests new areas for future herbicide development; Includes many specially prepared illustrations. As a summary of diverse research information, this second edition of Herbicides and Plant Physiology is a valuable reference for students and researchers in plant physiology, crop production/protection, plant biochemistry, biotechnology and agriculture. All libraries in universities, agricultural colleges and research establishments where these subjects are studied and taught will need copies of this excellent book on their shelves.

Developments in the understanding of herbicide activity and toxicology have expanded tremendously in the past fifteen years. Research on the mechanism of action of most major classes of herbicide chemistry has provided scientists with excellent insight into enzyme targets. More recently, developments in molecular biology have provided information about herbicide action at the genetic level. Less well understood are the toxicological aspects of herbicide activity that culminate in plant injury or death. Toxicology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Herbicide Activity is a review of the recent literature on most of the major classes of herbicide chemistry in commercial use. The chapters include information about different aspects of herbicide activity related to photosynthesis, inhibition of amino acid biosynthesis, disruption of cell division and microtubule assembly, activity of phytohormone (auxin) mimics, inhibition of fatty acid biosynthesis and some developments in the understanding of herbicide resistance.

This important publication provides a comprehensive summary of data and information on the metabolism and chemical degradation of agrochemicals in soils, plants and animals. Part 1, Herbicides and Plant Growth Regulators, and Part 2, Insecticides and Fungicides, together provide a major bibliography, as each entry is fully referenced. Contents include metabolic products, pathways and mechanisms, together with useful details on physico-chemical properties and mode of action. Both parts are organised by class of chemical for easy reference. There are separate entries for each pesticide, covering most commercially available chemicals in use today. In addition, an overview of the metabolism of each major class provides the reader with an informed summary of key similarities and significant differences between individual chemicals. Information is based primarily on literature from the past 40 years of research, together with some important, previously unpublished work provided by the agrochemical companies. Presented in a systematic, easy-to-read style, with extensive indexing to facilitate the rapid location of required information and the comparison of related compounds, Metabolic Pathways of Agrochemicals is an invaluable reference for chemists, biochemists and biologists working in the discovery, development and registration of agrochemicals, as well as scientists in related areas such as design and mode of action of pharmaceuticals.

Herbicides are one of the most widely used groups of pesticides worldwide for controlling weedy species in agricultural and non-crop settings. Due to the extensive use of herbicides and their value in weed management, herbicide research remains crucial for ensuring continued effective use of herbicides while minimizing detrimental effects to ecosystems. Presently, a wide range of research continues to focus on the physiology of herbicide action, the environmental impact of herbicides, and safety. The authors of Herbicides, Physiology of Action, and Safety cover multiple topics concerning current valuable herbicide research.

This publication is based on the plant processes and reaction sites for which reliable knowledge on both their physiology and biochem-istry and the mode of herbicidal action is available. Targets of the agrochemical research, such as enzymes of biosynthetic pathways or herbicide-binding peptides in the photosynthetic membrane, are highlighted. Detailed knowledge about the target sites will allow bio-chemical model systems to evaluate the biological activity of newly synthesized compounds before their conventional screening in the greenhouse. Quantitative structure/activity relationships should be performed more reliably with simple biological species or enzymol-ogy assays, to aid in the rational design of pesticides. This text is highly valuable for plant physiologists, pathologists, and chemists in the agrochemical industry and universities.