Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T21:28:50.287Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

An Analysis of the Growth Inhibitory Characteristics of Alachlor and Metolachlor

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Luanne M. Deal
Affiliation:
Dep. Bot. and Plant Pathol., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907
F. D. Hess
Affiliation:
Dep. Bot. and Plant Pathol., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN 47907

Abstract

The effects of varying concentrations and duration of alachlor [2-chloro-2′,6′diethyl-N-(methoxymethyl)acetanilide] and metolachlor [2-chloro-N-(2-ethyl-6-methylphenyl)-N-(2-methoxy-1-methylethyl)acetamide] treatment on root growth, cell division, and cell enlargement were studied. Peas (Pisum sativum L. ‘Alaska’) and oats (Avena sativa L. ‘Victory’) were treated from 0 to 48 h with concentrations ranging from 1 × 10-8 to 1 × 10-3 M of each herbicide. After 48 h, average growth rates were significantly inhibited at concentrations of 1 × 10-7 M alachlor and 5 × 10−8 M metolachlor, and 5 × 10−7 M alachlor and 1 × 10-6 M metolachlor for peas and oats, respectively. When growth inhibitions were examined across time at concentrations greater than these, the degree of growth inhibition was a function of both concentration and duration of treatment. Often the greatest decrease in growth occurred between 0 and 12 h. Mitotic indices of root tip squashes from pea roots and paraffin sections from oat roots were determined. There was a significant reduction in the mitotic indices of pea roots treated for 48 h with 5 × 10−6 M alachlor or 1 × 10-5 M metolachlor. After a 30-h treatment, the mitotic indices of oat roots were significantly reduced by 1 × 10−7 M metolachlor and 1 × 10−6 M alachlor. Significant inhibition of elongation of etiolated oat coleoptiles were observed at 5 × 10−6 M alachlor (27%) and 5 × 10−5 M metolachlor (30%). Inhibition of pea hypocotyl elongation did not occur at concentrations below 5 × 10−4 M. It was concluded that the growth inhibition of plants caused by alachlor and metolachlor results from both an inhibition of cell division and cell enlargement.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © 1980 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Ashton, F. M., Penner, D., and Hoffman, S. 1968. Effect of several herbicides on proteolytic activity of squash seedlings. Weed Sci. 16:169171.Google Scholar
2. Balke, N. E. 1979. Inhibition of ion absorption by acetanilide herbicides. Abstr. Weed Sci. Soc. Am. p. 93.Google Scholar
3. Bonner, J. 1933. The action of the plant growth hormone. J. Gen. Physiol. 17:6376.Google Scholar
4. Canvin, D. T. and Friesen, G. 1959. Cytological effect of CDAA and IPC on germinating barley and peas. Weeds 7:153156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Chang, T. C., Marsh, H. V. Jr., and Jennings, P. H. 1975. Effect of alachlor on Avena seedlings. Inhibition of growth and interaction with gibberellic acid and indoleacetic acid. Pestic. Biochem. Physiol. 5:323329.Google Scholar
6. Devlin, R. M. and Cunningham, R. P. 1970. The inhibition of gibberellic acid induction of α-amylase activity in barley endosperm by certain herbicides. Weed Res. 10:316320.Google Scholar
7. Dhillon, N. S. and Anderson, J. L. 1972. Morphological, anatomical and biochemical effects of propachlor on seedling growth. Weed Res. 12:182189.Google Scholar
8. Duke, W. B., Slife, F. W., Hanson, J. B., and Butler, H. S. 1975. An investigation on the mechanism of action of propachlor. Weed Sci. 23:142147.Google Scholar
9. Gruenhagen, R. D. and Moreland, D. E. 1971. Effects of herbicides on ATP levels in excised soybean hypocotyls. Weed Sci. 19: 319325.Google Scholar
10. Haber, A. H. and Foard, D. E. 1964. Further studies of gamma-irradiated wheat and their relevance to use of mitotic inhibition for developmental studies. Am. J. Bot. 51:151159.Google Scholar
11. Hess, D. and Bayer, D. 1974. The effect of trifluralin on the ultrastructure of dividing cells of the root meristem of cotton. J. Cell Sci. 15:429441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Hoagland, D. R. and Arnon, D. I. 1950. The water culture method for growing plants without soil. Univ. California Agric. Exp. Stn. Circ. 347. 32 pp.Google Scholar
13. Jaworski, E. G. 1956. Biochemical action of CDAA, a new herbicide. Science 123:847848.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14. Jaworski, E. G. 1969. Analysis of the mode of action of herbicidal α-chloroacetamides. J. Agric. Food Chem. 17:165170.Google Scholar
15. Jensen, W. A. 1962. Botanical Histochemistry. W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, California. 408 pp.Google Scholar
16. Mann, J. D., Jordan, L. S., and Day, B. E. 1965. A survey of herbicides for their effect upon protein synthesis. Plant Physiol. 40: 840843.Google Scholar
17. Marsh, H. V., Bates, J., and Downs, S. 1976. Inhibition of metabolite uptake and transport by alachlor. Plant Physiol. Supplement 57. p. 61.Google Scholar
18. Marsh, H. V., Bates, J., and Downs, S. 1976. Effects of alachlor on corn seedlings. Proc. Northeast. Weed Sci. Soc. 29:156165.Google Scholar
19. Marsh, H. V., Woodward, K., and Bates, J. 1975. Effect of alachlor on water utilization by oat (Avena sativa L.) seedlings. Abstr. Proc. Northeast. Weed Sci. Soc. 30:175.Google Scholar
20. Moreland, D. E., Malhotra, S. S., Gruenhagen, R. D., and Shokrah, E. H. Effects of herbicides on RNA and protein synthesis. Weed Sci. 17:556563.Google Scholar
21. Nitsch, J. P. and Nitsch, C. 1956. Studies on the growth of the coleoptile and first internode sections. A new, sensitive, straight growth test for auxins. Plant Physiol. 31:94111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Parker, C. 1966. The importance of shoot entry in the action of herbicides applied to the soil. Weeds 14:117121.Google Scholar
23. Pillai, C. G. P., Davis, D. E., and Truelove, B. 1976. CGA-24705 effects on germination, growth, leucine uptake and incorporation. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 29:403.Google Scholar
24. Pillai, C. G. P., Davis, D. E., and Truelove, B. 1977. Site of uptake and mode of action of metolachlor. Proc. South. Weed Sci. Soc. 30:367.Google Scholar
25. Rao, V. S. and Duke, W. B. 1976. Effect of alachlor, propachlor, and prynachlor on GA3-induced production of protease and α-amylase. Weed Sci. 24:616618.Google Scholar
26. Thimann, K. V. and Schneider, C. L. 1939. Differential growth in plant tissues. II. A modified auxin test of high sensitivity. Am. J. Bot. 26:792797.Google Scholar
27. Truelove, B., Diner, A. M., Davis, D. E., and Weete, J. D. 1979. Metolachlor, membranes and permeability. Abstr. Weed Sci. Soc. Am. p. 99.Google Scholar
28. Van't Hof, J. 1968. Experimental procedures for measuring cell population kinetic parameters in plant root meristems. Pages 95117 in Prescott, D., ed. Methods in Cell Physiology. Vol. 2. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
29. Wiedman, S. J. and Appleby, A. P. 1972. Plant growth stimulation by sublethal concentrations of herbicides. Weed Res. 12: 6574.Google Scholar