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AbstractThis study quantifies the crop yield loss by weeds and management of hardy and prominent weeds. Uncontrolled weeds reduced grain yield of DSR by 68%. Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha−1 pre-emergence (PE) followed by (fb) bispirbac-sodium 30 g ha−1 at 25 DAS fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 60 g ha−1 at 30 DAS, and pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha−1 (PE) fb azimsulfuron 25 g ha−1+fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 60 g ha−1 at 30 DAS significantly reduced weed density and weed dry matter, and recorded higher grain yield in DSR than other treatments. The pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha−1 (PE) fb bispyribac-sodium 30 g ha−1 at 30 DAS was statistically similar to stale seed-bed fb bispyribac-sodium 30 g ha−1 at 30 DAS and gave higher weed control efficiency and energy index compared to unweeded control and bispyribac-sodium 30 g ha−1 at 30 DAS. Pendimethalin 1.0 kg ha−1 (PE) fb bispyribac-sodium 30 g ha−1 at 25 DAS fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 60 g ha−1 30 DAS showed more promising in controlling tough weeds like L. chinensis and D. aegyptium and predominant weeds (Echinochloa colona, broad-leaved weeds and Cyperus species) in DSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Monsanto company – now acquired by Bayer – has been accused of ghostwriting articles within peer review literature, with the goal of using influential names to front its content in defence of the herbicide Roundup. Here, I conduct a detailed analysis of three Monsanto review articles and a five-article journal supplement for which detailed information from company emails is publicly available following litigation over Roundup. All the articles had external, but not Monsanto authors, and ghostly practices including ghost authorship, corporate ghost authorship and ghost management were evident in their development. There was clear evidence of ghostwriting – that is, drafting of the manuscript by non-authors – in only two cases. I found no evidence of undeserving authorship among the external authors. The articles complied with the disclosure requirements of their journals, save for the journal supplement. While crude ghostwriting did occur, much of the literature involved subtler practices through which Monsanto exercised control over content, while the attribution of the articles downplayed the company's role – and correspondingly aggrandized that of the external authors. Such practices are widespread within industry journal literature and are the responsibility of byline authors and journals as well as corporations. I discuss these cultural problems and consider remedies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consortium culture can be a relatively cheap and environment-friendly technology for producing secondary metabolites like pesticides (herbicides). This study produced some metabolites from a consortium culture of fungal isolates obtained from the rhizospheres of Panicum maximum, Ipomoea involucrata and Amaranthus viridis. The isolates from rhizospheres of the above-named plants were co-cultured using Czapek broth and were incubated in an incubator shaker for 28 days. The co-culture combinations were: Aspergillus welwitschiae and Trichoderma hamatum (consortium 1), Aspergillus welwitschiae and Aspergillus aculeatus (consortium 2), and Aspergillus aculeatus and Trichoderma hamatum (consortium 3). Crude extracts from each consortium were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The FTIR results showed that consortium 1 had peak spectra range from 418.57 cm−1 (S–S stretch of aryl disulfides) to 3462.34 cm−1 (alcohol, aliphatic primary amine), consortium 2 had peak spectra range from 420.5 cm−1 (halo compound) to 3456.65 cm−1 (alcohol, aliphatic primary amine) and consortium 3 had peak spectra from 457.14 cm−1 (halo compound) to 3448.84 cm−1 (alcohol, aliphatic primary amine). Some of the compounds produced by the consortia were pesticidal in nature and are hence, considered a potential technology in developing organic pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weeds are a major threat to agricultural productivity, leading to significant yield losses. This review critically assesses the potential of nanotechnology in developing nanoherbicides as an effective alternative to traditional weed control methods. The properties and encapsulation techniques of various nanoparticles, including interfacial polymerization, in-situ polymerization, coacervation, and organic encapsulation, are analyzed to demonstrate how these methods enhance herbicide efficiency and specificity. A comprehensive literature review synthesizes recent advancements in organic encapsulation techniques, including liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles, which enhance herbicide efficacy and targeted delivery. The findings indicate that nanotechnology can improve herbicide effectiveness by reducing required doses and minimizing off-target effects, enhancing stability and bioavailability. Key findings suggest that nanoherbicides can achieve targeted delivery and reduce off-target effects and environmental impact. Additionally, the review highlights evidence showing that nano-formulations can mitigate issues related to herbicide resistance by improving the stability and increasing the diversity of soil microbes. Furthermore, this study underscores the necessity for further research into the long-term effects and practical applications of nanoherbicides in diverse agricultural settings. By integrating these innovative techniques, farmers can achieve more sustainable weed control, increasing agricultural productivity while mitigating environmental risks. Future research should prioritize field trials to validate these findings and optimize application methods for diverse cropping systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractAquatic communities are increasingly exposed to complex mixtures of contaminants, mainly pesticides due to the impact of agricultural activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of an eight-pesticide cocktail on larvae of the South American common toad, Rinella arenarum. The cocktail represents a realistic mixture of insecticides (cypermethrin, chlorpyrifos and lambda-cyhalothrin), herbicides (glyphosate, glufosinate ammonium, prometryn and metolachlor), and a fungicide (pyraclostrobin) previously found in aquatic organisms (Prochilodus lineatus) from the Salado River Basin, an area with strong agricultural pressure. Computational simulations through the Density Functional Tight-Binding method indicated a strong spontaneous trend toward the formation of the cocktail, suggesting that it may act as a novel xenobiotic entity in the environment. The cocktail effects were evaluated in early-developing and premetamorphic larvae, at feasible concentrations found in real scenarios. The mixture led to high mortality and teratogenicity in early-developing larvae. Premetamorphic larvae showed endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, and impairments in detoxification and hepatic functioning. Neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, cardiotoxicity and high mortality under stress conditions were also observed in exposed larvae. This novel evaluation highlights the ecotoxicological risk for aquatic organisms exposed to complex mixtures and underscores the need to consider cocktail effects in studies regarding ecosystems health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues seriously impact food safety and environmental protection. Consequently, there is a pressing demand for the development of dependable and efficient methods for pesticide residues detection. In recent years, optical aptamer sensors have emerged as highly sensitive and fast-response sensing platforms for pesticide detection. These developed sensors rely on the selectivity and sensitivity of nucleic acid aptamer to specifically interact with the target pesticide, resulting in an observable signal response. Various optical aptamer sensors such as fluorescence, colorimetry, surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) methods, and chemiluminescence (CL) methods have been effectively employed for accurate and rapid detection of pesticides, encompassing a range of pesticide types including insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. These sensors offer several advantages including quick response times, high selectivity and sensitivity, user-friendly operation, and enabling real-time monitoring. This paper provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in the application and development of optical aptamer sensors for pesticide residue assay with the overarching goal of furnishing an invaluable reference point for forthcoming research and advancements in the realm of swift and highly sensitive pesticide residue detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn is the second most cultivated crop in Brazil, the number-one country in pesticide consumption. Chemical control of weeds is performed using herbicides such as S-metolachlor with pre- and post-emergence action and thus the toxicity of herbicides constitutes a matter of great concern. The present investigation aimed to examine the effects of an S-metolachlor-based herbicide on Lactuca sativa L. (lettuce) and Zea mays L. (maize) utilizing various bioassays. The test solutions were prepared from commercial products containing the active ingredient. Seeds from the plant models were exposed in petri dishes and maintained under biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) at 24°C. Distilled water was negative and aluminium positive control. Macroscopic analyses (germination and growth) were conducted for both plant species, and microscopic analysis (cell cycle and chromosomal alterations) were performed for L. sativa root tip cells. Detrimental interference of S-metolachlor-based herbicide was noted with lettuce for all parameters tested reducing plant germination by over 50% and the germination speed by over 45% and showing a significant decrease in mitotic index, from 16.25% to 9,28% even on the lowest concentration tested. In maize, there was no significant interference in plant germination; however, speed of germination was significantly hampered, reaching a 51.22% reduction for the highest concentration tested. Data demonstrated that the herbicide was toxic as evidenced by its phyto- and cytotoxicity in L. sativa L. and Z. mays L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agricultural growth of the nation resulted in the elevated amount of agricultural toxic contaminants in water. It is a promising technique for the degradation of agricultural pollutants. Photocatalysis is termed the utilization of light energy as an inexhaustible and green energy source for degrading organic pollutants through reactive oxygen species generation. The agricultural pollutants mainly comprise pesticides, herbicides, and certain veterinary contaminants. This paper aims to discuss the prevalence of various photocatalytic agents in the degradation process of agricultural pollutants in water. Considering this, the present review has attempted to look back at the existing research based on applying chemical agents as photocatalysts to treat contaminated water systems. Literature that falls within the period from 2018 to 2023 is chosen, and the effects of various photocatalytic agents on agricultural pollutants have been explored. The categorization of the existing literature is highly relevant for future research that aims to recognize the role of photocatalytic agents and their contribution toward the purification of water systems and the eradication of agricultural pollutants. It also highlights the challenges and benefits of incorporating photocatalytic agents for the degradation process of agricultural pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many challenges and obstacles prevail in the agricultural fields, such as weed removal, horticulture, and spraying herbicides and fertilizers. Individual robots for all these tasks cost a lot, which ordinary farmers cannot afford. The delta arm has to perform versatile functions like spraying and weed removal with great accuracy and reduced environmental impact. The primary objective of this research is to design a delta arm that can move in all directions efficiently. The driving and driven arm in the delta arm design should be correlated, which helps with the proper positioning of the end effector carrier. Similarly, the moving platform and the fixed platform are designed in a circular form. These measurements give a proper design and make the robotic arm work properly as it can move in all three degrees of freedom in XYZ directions. The NVIDIA jetson orin nano operates as the controlling unit of the delta arm. The study proved that the delta arm had achieved an accuracy rate of 98% at a speed of 107.5 mm/s, making it well-suited for agricultural field operations. In addition, the delta arm exhibits the capability to handle an end effector weighing up to 300 g. Therefore, introducing the delta arm agribot in the row-based agricultural field can make a revolution in the upcoming years as it can perform versatile tasks at a high speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfonylurea herbicides (SUHs) are widely used in agriculture because of their low dosage, low cost, and high selectivity. However, due to improper use and lack of effective management, their residues pose a threat to the human health through environment and food pollution. Therefore, there is a need for simple, quick, economical, and effective methods to analyze SUHs in plant-derived foods, crops, and environmental samples. The present article presents a comprehensive review of the pretreatment and analytical technologies used for SUHs in various sample matrices, focusing on the developments since 2010. The main pretreatment methods include liquid–liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, QuEChERS, and different microextraction methods, whereas analytical methods mainly include liquid chromatography coupled with different detectors, capillary electrophoresis, among others. In addition, the present study also compared the advantages and disadvantages of the methods and the future development is prospected. Highlight: Progress in pretreatment and analytical methods of sulfonylurea herbicides are summarized. Pros and cons of the pretreatment and determination methods have been given. Novel materials in solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction are depicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how adding stable manure affected the transport of atrazine within agricultural soils from Kahramanmaraş, Turkey. Based on the batch and miscible-displacement experiments, it was found that atrazine sorption was nonlinear, following a Freundlich isotherm, and was rate-limited and reversible for both the non-amended and amended soil. The addition of manure resulted in higher retardation of atrazine, with R values of 10.1 to 19.1, compared to values of 3.2 to 4.3 for the non-amended soil. The KF values for stable-manure amended soil calculated from batch experiment was three times higher than non-amended soil. The transportation of atrazine shows non-ideal behavior, characterized by significant elution tailing at low concentrations due to the organic carbon content of the soil. This effect was more prominent in soil with a 10% stable-manure amendment. By incorporating non-linear sorption, a two-site transport modeling approach provides a reasonably accurate representation of the atrazine breakthrough curves. The distinct sorption-desorption characteristics of atrazine have significant implications for risk assessment of atrazine-contaminated soil and should be considered in the regulation, management, and remediation of such contaminated sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method was developed for the simultaneous extraction of herbicides such as 2,4 D, MCPA, ametryn, chlorothalonil, and bromacil in water and vegetable samples by emulsification liquid-liquid microextraction with fatty acids based hydrophobic deep eutectic solvents (DES). The DES were synthesised by mixing several fatty acids ratios that functioned as both the hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donor (HBD). Using the DES as the microextraction solvent, several vital parameters were optimised, including the type and volume of hydrophobic DES, pH of the sample, sonication time, and type and volume of emulsifier. Then, the extracted herbicides were back-extracted into phosphoric acid solution (0.05 M). The detection limits were in the range of 0.01–2.5 ng mL−1, the quantification limits were in the range of 0.03–8.3 ng mL−1, and recoveries were in the range of 73.1–98.8% with RSD <10%. The greenness assessment using Analytical Eco-Scale and AGREE (Analytical GREEnness Metric Approach System) exhibited that the emulsification liquid-liquid microextraction method using DES can be considered as simple, practical, and environmentally friendly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly porous biomass-derived activated carbon was prepared by carbonisation of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.) stone followed by chemical activation with zinc chloride (ZnCl2) at 700°C. The resulting activated carbon was magnetised using a thermal process. The physicochemical properties of the magnetic activated carbon (AC/Fe3O4) were characterised by N2 adsorption-desorption, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometer. The magnetic material exhibited a high specific surface area of 959 m2/g and a maximal saturation magnetisation of 28.5 emu/g. The AC/Fe3O4 was then used as an adsorbent for the magnetic solid-phase extraction of target herbicides (hexazinone, propachlor and prometryn) from environmental water samples followed by high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection. After optimising the main parameters in the extraction procedure, the extraction recoveries and preconcentration factors in the ranges of 71–84% and 18–21 were obtained, respectively. Good linearities were achieved with the coefficients of determination ranging from 0.9978 to 0.9997. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were less than 5.2%. Limits of detection were obtained between 0.05 and 0.28 µg/L. Finally, the proposed method was applied for the determination of the target herbicides in the environmental waters and satisfied recoveries between 71 and 101% were obtained from spiked samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variable efficacy of the acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) inhibitor herbicide, flumetsulam, against dairy pasture populations of Ranunculus acris, has been attributed to resistance. We compared, over two years, the fitness of two resistant (R) clones and nine susceptible (S) clones treated or not with flumetsulam by measuring seed yields and survival of plants. Without the herbicide, all plants grew and survived. The seed yields of the R and S plants without the herbicide were similar (327 and 217 seeds/plant, respectively in Year 1, and 257 and 323 seeds/plant in Year 2) indicating no fitness penalty to the resistance. With the herbicide, growth and survival of the R plants was unaffected, whereas all S plants were defoliated before seedhead formation but 96% regrew from their rhizomes in Year 2. Seed yields of the treated R and S plants in Year 1 were 347 and 0 seeds/plant, respectively and 243 and 205 seeds/plant in Year 2. Survival of flumetsulam-susceptible R. acris plants following spraying would maintain susceptible AHAS alleles in the population, while without a fitness penalty, resistant plants would persist in non-spraying years facilitating further selection when the herbicide is used again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finely divided carbon char products offer a cost-effective method for the safening of herbicides in soil. In this investigation, two contrasting carbon char sources: Virgin Activated Charcoal (VAC) and Recovered Carbon Black (RCB) products were evaluated for safening of metsulfuron, sulfentrazone and pyroxasulfone herbicides in soil using sugar beet bioassay, and of rimsulfuron using perennial ryegrass bioassay. Plants were grown for seven days in WhirlPack® bags in soil with added carbon char product and added herbicide, and the root or shoot lengths were measured. The VAC was more efficacious in herbicide safening than the RCB. For the VAC, concentrations in soil (wt/wt) as low as 0.375% fully deactivated metsulfuron, sulfentrazone and pyroxasulfone, while for the RCB product a gradual degree of safening was observed, except for pyroxasulfone that was completely deactivated by both VAC and RCB. The VAC at concentrations of 3% and above fully deactivated rimsulfuron, while RCB did not. The two carbon char products examined in this study had different physical properties, of which the specific surface area (91 and 515 m2 g−1 for the RCB and VAC, respectively) and specific surface area of pores (75 and 247 m2 g−1 for RCB and VAC, respectively) showed the greatest difference. Higher surface area promoting greater sorption may explain more effective deactivation of herbicides by the VAC. To obtain the same degree of herbicide safening, more RCB would be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the phenylurea herbicide Diuron (C9H10Cl2N2O) as possibly carcinogenic to humans. This research is focused on the adsorbent performances of a Algerian sodium Montmorillonite (Mont-Na), for the removal of Diuron in aqueous solutions. The material is characterised before and after processing using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), specific surface area (SBET) and thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The tests were firstly realised at 25°C and pH = 6.3. Until 61 hours of experiment, no removal was obtained in this case. After that, the experiments were carried out on Mont-Na at high temperature and medium pH (T = 45°C, pH = 6.3) and then at ambient temperature and basic pH (T = 25°C, pH = 11). The removal was increased from 74% to 91%, respectively. The equilibrium is reached after 5 hours and the adsorption capacity is between 0.74 mg/g at 45°C and 0.91 mg/g at pH = 11. The kinetic modelling shows that the pseudo-first order describes the experimental data of the Diuron adsorption on Mont-Na and the equilibrium data are modelled perfectly by applying the Elovich model. The thermodynamic quantities indicate that the adsorption process on Mont-Na at pH = 6.3 is spontaneous (ΔG < 0) and endothermic (ΔH = 31.80 kJ.mol−1). In conclusion, under the operating conditions used, local Mont-Na proved to be an excellent material for the adsorption of Diuron in aqueous solutions. That could be very promising for sewage treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The variation in light within the environment triggers morphophysiological changes in plants and can lead to distinct responses in sun-exposed or shaded plants to glyphosate. The response of Urochloa genotypes subjected to desiccation with 2160, 1622.4, 1080, 524.4, 273.6, and 0.0 g ha−1 of glyphosate was evaluated in full sun and shade conditions. Cayana grass, mulato II grass, and sabiá grass – hybrids recently launched on the market, in addition to palisade grass and congo grass were evaluated. Under full sun, we achieved control of congo grass using 1080 g ha−1 of glyphosate, while the other grasses required 2160 g ha−1. In the low-light environment, sabiá grass was effectively controlled with 524.4 g ha−1 of glyphosate, but the other grasses needed 273.6 g ha−1. In shading, compared to full sun, the savings with glyphosate were 75 and 76% for the control of congo grass and sabiá grass, respectively, and 87% for palisade grass, mulato II grass and cayana grass. Increasing glyphosate doses leads to a decline in the quantum efficiency of photosystem II and in the electron transport rate, especially in the shade. Urochloa genotypes are more sensitive to glyphosate in the shade, which must be considered when determining the herbicide dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two years of monthly sampling and hydrological monitoring were performed at the outlet of a Mediterranean watershed in northern Tunisia to determine the contents of 469 pesticide active ingredients and metabolites in water and evaluate their behavior. Wadi Guenniche is a tributary of the Bizerte coastal lagoon, with a watershed area of 86 km2, which exhibits pluvial cereal, legume, and orchid cultivation and irrigated market gardening. Twenty-nine pesticide active ingredients and 2 metabolites were detected in water. Twenty-four pesticide active ingredients were authorized for use in Tunisia. Among them, 14 had never been mentioned in previous farmer surveys. Five herbicides and their metabolites were the most frequently detected: aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) (100%), glyphosate (94%), simazine (94%), 2,4-D (70%), and deisopropylatrazine (DIA) (47%). The detection frequency and concentration range suggested that the phytosanitary pressure and resulting water contamination are close to those on the northern Mediterranean shore. These results, in addition to characterizing the pollution state, emphasized the need for additional studies on the use and fate of pesticides on the southern shore of the Mediterranean Sea, particularly in Tunisia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of pre-emergence herbicides mixture applied to the soil with and without dead cover crops (Sorghum bicolor) for the control of Amaranthus hybridus L. (smooth pigweed) and its selectivity in soybeans. This study was structured in split plot (2 × 6 + 2), where factor A plots (with and without dead cover) and factor B six herbicides mixture: flumioxazin + S-metolachlor (50.4 + 1,008 g a.i. ha−1), flumioxazin + imazethapyr (60 + 127.2 g a.i. ha−1), pyroxasulfone + sulfentrazone (137.6 + 160 g a.i. ha−1), diuron + sulfentrazone (400 + 200 g a.i. ha−1), metribuzin + S-metolachlor (326.4 + 1,344 g a.i. ha−1) and sulfentrazone + imazethapyr (200 + 100 g a.i. ha−1) and two untreated control plots. As for the results, the herbicides flumioxazin + S-metolachlor, flumioxazin + imazethapyr and pyroxasulfone + sulfentrazone showed excellent control (97–99%) and were not influenced by the plot with and without dead cover. They also showed higher yield soybeans (<2,244 kg ha−1). All herbicides were selective to the soybeans. Overall, pre-emergence herbicides and cover crops were efficient methods for the control of A. hybridus, which farmers should use to avoid losses in yield soybeans due to weed competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of pesticide use has been linked to the higher production of reactive oxygen species, resulting in oxidative stress, which in turn can cause genomic instability. A marker for instability is the copy number variation of the mitochondrial genome (mtDNAcn), which has been found to be altered in diverse human diseases, including tumors. This research aimed to examine the variation of mtDNAcn in individuals occupationally exposed to pesticides. Real-time PCR assays were conducted on 154 individuals (78 exposed and 76 non-exposed). Pesticide-exposed ndividuals exhibited a significant reduction in mtDNAcn (1.11 ± 0.37mtDNAcn/genome) compared to non-exposed individuals (1.30 ± 0.33mtDNAcn/genome; p = 0.001). The multivariate analysis indicated that individuals who reported using haloxyfop and copper sulfate demonstrated an increase (β = 0.200, p = 0.053) and a decrease (β=-0.2, p = 0.021), respectively, in mtDNAcn. In conclusion, our findings suggest that chronic exposure to pesticides results in changes in mtDNAcn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time, a highly permeable nanoporous carbon derived from melamine-based polybenzoxazine (NPC-PBZ-m) was used as the solid-phase extraction sorbent for trace analysis of atrazine (ATZ) herbicide in environmental water samples as a pre-treatment to enhance detection for high-performance liquid chromatography. Extraction performance was investigated using an agricultural field matrix-water sample. The parameters affecting the solid-phase extraction efficiency were carefully investigated. The optimisation conditions were determined as 200.0 mg of sorbent with an adsorption flow rate of 10.0 mL min−1, an elution flow rate of 1.0 mL min−1, and an elution volume of 3.0 mL. Moreover, it was not necessary to adjust the pH of the sample. Under these optimised extraction conditions, good linearity between 5.00 and 30.0 µg L−1 was achieved along with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.25 µg L−1 and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.79 µg L−1. Furthermore, the reusability of the NPC-PBZ-m column was found up to 8 cycles making it a new cost-effective material for herbicide enrichment. Finally, this developed method was successfully applied to analyse ATZ in water samples from rice fields, fish farms, and natural canal water, with 98–117% relative recoveries. These results indicate that NPC-PBZ-m with our proposed method is feasible and demonstrates its potential application as an effective adsorbent for herbicide enrichment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing plantain (Plantago lanceolata) within pastures reduces nitrate leaching following grazing. Plantain is usually grown with grass and clover species, making selective weed control challenging. One strategy to selectively remove tall weeds in pastures with mixed species is to apply herbicides using weed wipers. However, for many months of the year, plantain has upright leafless flower stems that will intercept herbicide applied using wipers. To determine if this means plantain might be damaged by wipers used in such swards, two glasshouse experiments tested the tolerance of mature plantain plants to the application of herbicides suitable for use in weed wipers (glyphosate, clopyralid, aminopyralid, dicamba, metsulfuron, picloram and triclopyr) to the flower stems. Aminopyralid (0.075% ai solution) and a low rate of glyphosate (1.8% ai) caused the least decrease in plantain biomass and should be safe for weed wiping within swards containing plantain. A higher rate of glyphosate (7.2% ai) and a glyphosate/metsulfuron mix (0.9% + 0.01% ai, respectively) caused the most damage to plantain, particularly following simulated rainfall after application. Thus, applying some herbicides using wipers should be possible for selective weed control within plantain swards even if rain falls soon afterwards, though field trials are required to fine-tune recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the risk assessment of agrochemicals, there has been a historical paucity of using data to refine the default adjustment factors, even though large datasets are available to support this. The current state of the science for addressing uncertainty regarding animal to human extrapolation (AFA) is to develop a "data-derived" adjustment factor (DDEF) to quantify such differences, if data are available. Toxicokinetic (TK) and toxicodynamic (TD) differences between species can be utilized for the DDEF, with human datasets being ideal yet rare. We identified a case for a currently registered herbicide, mesotrione, in which human TK and TD are available. This case study outlines an approach for the development of DDEFs using comparative human and animal data and based on an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) for inhibition of 4-hydroxyphenol pyruvate dioxygenase (HHPD). The calculated DDEF for rat to human extrapolation (AFA) for kinetics (AFAK = 2.5) was multiplied by the AFA for dynamics (AFAD = 0.3) resulting in a composite DDEF of ∼1 (AFA = 0.75). This reflects the AOP and available scientific evidence that humans are less sensitive than rats to the effects of HPPD inhibitors. Further analyses were conducted utilizing in vitro datasets from hepatocytes and liver cytosols and extrapolated to whole animal using in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) to support toxicodynamic extrapolation. The in vitro datasets resulted in the same AFAD as derived for in vivo data (AFAD = 0.3). These analyses demonstrate that a majority of the species differences are related to toxicodynamics. Future work with additional in vitro/in vivo datasets for other HPPD inhibitors and cell types will further support this result. This work demonstrates utilization of all available toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic data to replace default uncertainty factors for agrochemical human health risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tailwater recovery system (TWR) sediment quality in Mississippi, USA, was evaluated seasonally within the storage reservoir and drainage ditch system from 2016 to 2019 for pesticide contamination, effects and bioavailability to Hyalella azteca (Saussure). Sediment bioassays (28-day) measured H. azteca survival and growth and tissue residue risks from sediment pesticide exposure. Sediment pesticide contamination comprised six current-use herbicides, three current-use insecticides, three legacy insecticides and one metabolite (p,p'-DDE). Sediment clomazone, bifenthrin and ΣDDT concentrations were greatest in drainage ditch sites during summer and fall. H. azteca tissue pesticide residues comprised three current-use herbicides and insecticides, as well as two legacy insecticides. Tissue residue clomazone, Ζ-cypermethrin and ΣDDT concentrations were greatest in drainage ditch sites during fall and winter. H. azteca survival and growth varied seasonally and spatially with lowest survival during fall and winter and lowest survival in the storage reservoir relative to drainage ditch sites during winter. Growth decreased during winter and spring with lowest growth in drainage ditches relative to the storage reservoir during spring. Patterns of associated survival and growth with tissue pesticide residues indicate increased risk during fall in TWR and where system water flows mobilise sediment pesticides increasing the risk of ecological impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the development and characterization of molecularly imprinted thin films in the absence and presence of a liquid crystal monomer, as well as the evaluation of these materials for recognition of the herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). Molecular imprinted polymers (MIPs) and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) were prepared by using two functional monomers, n-butylmethacrylate (BMA) and liquid crystalline (LC) 6-(4-cyanophenyl-4′phenoxy) hexyl acrylate (A6OCB). The resulting (MIPs) and (NIPs) materials were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, polarized optical microscopy (POM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The entire monomer consumption, as well as the successful loading and extraction of the 2,4-D molecules, were validated by FTIR and Raman analyses. POM and AFM characterization revealed that the percentage of liquid crystal influenced the distribution of the liquid crystal domains and that the MIP films exhibited remarkable porosity. The experimental results revealed that the MIP films had a substantially higher adsorption capacity toward 2,4-D than the NIP materials and that increasing the liquid crystal content increased the adsorption capacity of both the MIP and NIP films. The selectivity tests in the presence of phenoxyacetic acid (POAc) showed that the MIP films exhibited higher affinity for 2,4-D than for the POAc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, water pollution by herbicides is known as a global concern. Paraquat (PQ) (1-1-methyl-4,4-bi-pyridinium-dichloride) is a chip with high performance, which is being widely used herbicide to remove weeds from agricultural and natural ecosystems. PQ can contaminate water sources due to its high solubility in water. Human death by poisoning effects of PQ has been reported in several countries. Therefore, the side effects of PQ are a global challenge. This study aimed to investigate the bioremediation of PQ by plant extracts, as a low-cost, nontoxic, and natural absorbent to remove PQ from aqueous solutions in different conditions. In this regard, the extracts of common purslane (portulaca oleracea), florist kalanchoe (kalanchoe blossfeldiana), and jade plant (crassula portulaca) were used as adsorbents. For this purpose, the effect of various parameters such as contact time, initial concentration of PQ solution, temperature, pH, and amount of extract was investigated. The results of present study showed that P. oleracea extract and C. portulaca extracts have higher adsorption efficiency than k. blossfeldiana extract. The highest PQ removal was obtained by P. oleracea extract (79.04%) and C. portulaca extract (78.72%) at pH = 11, the adsorbent content of 0.2 mg L−1, and the lowest absorption of PQ (50.6%) was obtained by K. blossfeldiana extract. The highest PQ removal by plant extract was observed at 30 min for P. oleracea and C. portulaca, and at 15 min for k. blossfeldiana extract. Moreover, surface absorption capacity increased with increasing plant extract concentration, decreasing PQ concentration and decreased with increasing temperature. Finally, it can be concluded that plant extract can help to remove PQ from the aqueous solution. Contamination of raw water with herbicides such as paraquat (PQ) is recognized as a problem in many countries. PQ is known as a chemical contaminant that is highly toxic with high water solubilities (620 g/l) among herbicides. Despite the ban on the use of PQ in some countries, due to its low price, high efficiency at low concentrations, and high speed of paraquat in suppressing weeds, today this herbicide is used to control a wide range of weeds in the world. In recent years, various approaches to removing PQ from the environment have been studied. Some of these methods are relatively time-consuming and expensive, with large amounts of sludge and hazardous by-products. Among the mentioned methods, the adsorption process shows the simplicity of operation, low-cost process, and high efficiency in removing PQ from water. Recently, many adsorbents have been developed to remove PQ from aqueous solutions, including biochar, activated carbon, chitosan and alginate, clay, rice husk, and bentonite. Plant extracts may be known as new adsorbent materials for removing PQ from water as an eco-friendly and economical process. Therefore, in this study we investigate the plant extracts performance as adsorbents in PQ removal from water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of herbicides in association to control Rottboellia exaltata and Ipomoea quamoclit during pre-emergence while also to evaluate the potential impact on the sugarcane. The experimental design employed a randomized block with seven treatments and four replications. The treatments were: 1 – no herbicide application; 2 – indaziflam + sulfentrazone; 3 – indaziflam + diclosulam; 4 – indaziflam + tebuthiuron; 5 – flumioxazin + diclosulam, 6 – flumioxazin + pyroxasulfone and 7 – clomazone + sulfentrazone. The evaluated parameters were: percentage of weeds control, green coverage percentage (Canopeo® system), weed biomass (g m−2), itchgrass height, and sugarcane tiller. Several herbicide associations have been proven effective alternatives for managing itchgrass and cypressvine morningglory. The most successful treatments for itchgrass control were indaziflam + tebuthiuron (100%) and indaziflam + diclosulam (97%), whereas for cypressvine morningglory, the betters were indaziflam + sulfentrazone (97%), indaziflam + diclosulam (98%), indaziflam + tebuthiuron (97%), flumioxazin + diclosulam (94%), and clomazone + sulfentrazone (96%). All treatments reduced the weed biomass, with indaziflam + tebuthiuron being the safest option for protecting sugarcane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the use of herbicides in U.S.-backed counterinsurgency efforts in Latin America and beyond. It specifically examines instances of herbicide experimentation and fumigation in Georgia and Colombia, noting the lack of documentation surrounding these events. The article emphasizes the connection between herbicides, war, and the control of nature, highlighting the transnational history and violent politics associated with counterinsurgency. It explores the concept of ecocide and its link to counterinsurgency campaigns in Latin America, discussing how the fear of rural revolution led to large-scale "pacification" efforts that resulted in the destruction of environments seen as supporting political opposition. The use of herbicides played a significant role in these campaigns, eradicating both human and nonhuman populations. The article also addresses the connection between environmental violence and state-led "dirty wars," as well as the challenges of documenting and uncovering evidence of these crimes. [Extracted from the article]

Glyphosate (Gly) and its formulations are broad-spectrum herbicides globally used for pre- and post-emergent weed control. Glyphosate has been applied to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Critics have claimed that Gly-treated plants have altered mineral nutrition and increased susceptibility to plant pathogens because of Gly ability to chelate divalent metal cations. Still, the complete resistance of Gly indicates that chelation of metal cations does not play a role in herbicidal efficacy or have a substantial impact on mineral nutrition. Due to its extensive and inadequate use, this herbicide has been frequently detected in soil (2 mg kg−1, European Union) and in stream water (328 µg L−1, USA), mostly in surface (7.6 µg L−1, USA) and groundwater (2.5 µg L−1, Denmark). International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) already classified Gly as a category 2 A carcinogen in 2016. Therefore, it is necessary to find the best degradation techniques to remediate soil and aquatic environments polluted with Gly. This review elucidates the effects of Gly on humans, soil microbiota, plants, algae, and water. This review develops deeper insight toward the advances in Gly biodegradation using microbial communities. This review provides a thorough understanding of Gly interaction with mineral elements and its limitations by interfering with the plants biochemical and morphological attributes. Glyphosate (Gly) contamination in water, soil, and crops is an eminent threat globally. Various advanced and integrated approaches have been reported to remediate Gly contamination from the water-soil-crop system. This review elucidates the effects of Gly on human health, soil microbial communities, plants, algae, and water. This review develops deeper insight into the advances in Gly biodegradation using microbial communities, particularly soil microbiota. This review provides a brief understanding of Gly interaction with mineral elements and its limitations in interfering with the plants biochemical and morphological attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticides are dangerous chemicals that can harm to people and the environment when applied inappropriately or in excess. In this research, various pesticide residues were investigated in 48 pepper samples using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). All samples were collected randomly in two periods of time (September and December) from markets and greengrocers in four provinces (Siirt, Mardin, Diyarbakir, and Batman). Considering the means of the first and second periods, diclofop-methyl had the highest concentration of 29.4 ± 7.7 µg kg−1, and diazinon had the lowest of 21.1 ± 4.6 µg kg−1. Based on the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of pesticides specified in the Turkish Food Codex, pyrimethanil, bupirimate, and diclofop-methyl were found to be below the maximum acceptable residue limit, while pyridaphention, dinoseb, diazinon, and pirimiphos-methyl were found to be above the limit. Thus, the current study demonstrated the potential of LC-MS/MS as a crucial technique for accurate measurements and confirmations of pesticides in different pepper varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rice-wheat cropping system is the largest cereal-based agricultural production system in India. It provides considerable significance to national food, nutrition, and livelihood security. However, the extensive use of resources under rice-wheat system has resulted in significant issues, including a decline in groundwater levels, indiscriminate use of fertilizers, the burning of rice residues, increased emissions of greenhouse gases, and the development of herbicide-resistant weeds which led to stagnant crop productivity and reduced profitability. This study was conducted at the research farm of ICAR-IIWBR, Karnal, India, to evaluate the combined effects of conventional and nano urea on productivity, profitability, and efficient nitrogen management strategy in wheat under rice-wheat system. The study evaluated eight treatment combinations of nitrogen application through conventionally applied urea (46% N) and foliar applied nano urea (4% N). The results of the study showed that the application of 150 kg N/ha in three equal splits as basal and just before 1st and 2nd irrigation, either alone (T2) or along with a spray of nano urea (T5), resulted in the highest grain yield and profitability. Top dressing of urea just before irrigation with a dose of nitrogen 150 kg/ha applied in three equal splits (T2) resulted in 420 kg/ha additional grain yield over top dressing at 7-10 days after irrigation with same dose (T3). Treatment T5 recorded the highest gross and net returns with 2492.5 and 1804.0 US $/ha. The study's findings suggest that efficient nitrogen management is essential for sustainable wheat production in India. The application of 150 kg N/ha in three equal splits, either alone or along with a spray of nano urea, is a promising strategy for improving wheat productivity and profitability in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbicide residue levels were analyzed in agricultural soils of Batak plain and health risk assessments were made for relevant pesticides. Herbicide contamination levels were analyzed with the use of Quick-Easy-Cheap-Efficient-Rugged-Safe (QuEChERS)-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) procedure. Herbicide-free soil samples were spiked at two different levels. Overall recovery of the method was 87.32%. Present findings were parallel to SANTE recovery limits. About 50% of collected samples from the study sites contained herbicides at different concentrations. Totally, eight herbicides were detected, and herbicide concentrations ranged between 1.085 and 1724.23 μg kg−1. Metolachlor had the highest concentration (1724.23 μg kg−1) in a sample taken close to the pesticide waste disposal area. Six herbicides were detected at different concentrations in the same sample. Persistent herbicides (terbuthylazine and pendimethalin) were detected in 35 samples. Risk assessments revealed that hazard index (HI) and hazard quotient (HQ) were less than 1. The greatest HQ values were identified for terbuthylazine as 2772.48 × 10−7 and 20793.61 × 10−7 for adults and children, respectively. The HI for all herbicides were 3916.05 × 10−7 for adult and 29370.39 × 10−7 for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to assess the selectivity of herbicides applied in the pre and post-planting of pre-sprouted seedlings (PSS). The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, using a completely randomized design, with nine treatments and four repetitions. The IACSP95-5000 cultivar was used. The treatments consisted of herbicides applied in five doses as follows: in pre-planting: sulfentrazone, diclosulam, imazapic, and imazapyr, in post-planting: ethoxysulfuron, halosulfuron, 2,4-D and MSMA, and a control treatment without herbicide. Injury symptoms were assessed at 7, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90 days after application (DAA), height, diameter, number of tillers, chlorophyll A, B, and total chlorophyll at 30, 60, and 90 DAA, leaf area, shoot and root dry mass at 90 DAA. The post-emergent herbicides were considered selective. Pre-planting herbicides reduced the variables assessed at 90 DAA, observed by linear regression for diclosulam and imazapic, and exponential regression for imazapyr. Treatments with sulfentrazone caused few injury symptoms, with subsequent recovery. In addition, all the variables analyzed were equal to control, with the sulfentrazone considered selective for the IACSP95-5000 cultivar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrazine (ATZ) is the third most sold herbicide in Brazil, occupying the seventh position between most widely used pesticides. Due to its easy outflow, low reactivity and solubility, moderate adsorption to organic matter and clay, and long soil persistence, residual herbicide can be identified after long periods following application, and its usage has been prohibited in diverse countries. Amphibians are important bioindicators to assess impact of pesticide like atrazine, due to having a partial aquatic life cycle. This study had as objective to assess the response of bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) tadpoles when exposed to this herbicide. Animals were exposed for a total of 168h to following concentrations: negative control, 40 μg/L, 200 μg/L, 2000 μg/L, 20000 μg/L of ATZ. Analysis of swimming activity was performed, and biochemical profile was assessed by analysis of blood and plasma glucose levels, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, HDL, triglycerides, glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), calcium, total proteins, phenol, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity. Results exhibited malnutrition, anemia, likely muscle mass loss, and hepatic damage, indicating that ATZ can lead to an increase in energy to maintain homeostasis for animal survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of groundwater by herbicides depends on their mobility in soil, which is related to the organic carbon to water partition coefficient, KOC. Because the log KOC values of widely used sulfonylurea herbicides do not correlate with easily accessible log P estimations, multivariate image analysis (MIA) descriptors were employed to build structure-property models to classify these compounds according to their soil sorption capability. In addition, a deeper analysis based on MIA contour maps of PLS regression coefficients and variable importance in projection scores was performed to obtain insight into the chemical features responsible for the log KOC behavior. A multiple linear regression model obtained from selected descriptors demonstrated high predictability (r2 = 0.95, q2 = 0.84, and r2pred = 0.71) and also provided chemical insight into the log KOC values. It has been found that triazine rather than pyrimidine derivatives are less prone to leach out, but substituents attached to the sulfonyl group play an important role in modulating the log KOC values. Consequently, useful guidance for environmental risk assessment is provided for the development of new sulfonylurea herbicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the evolution of resistant weeds to glyphosate, the new technologies Xtend® and Enlist® cropping systems are expected to boost the use of auxin herbicides dicamba and 2,4-D. This study examined the effects of two formulations of 2,4-D and dicamba in tank-mixtures with other pesticides on selected physico-chemical properties of the spray solution, such as stability and pH, as well as other characteristics, such as size in dropcard and surface tension. The research included two factors, factor A comprised the herbicides dicamba and 2,4-D amine and choline salts and a auxin herbicide-free treatment, while factor B comprised 12 pesticides commonly sprayed in Brazil (i.e., five formulations of glyphosate, clethodim, haloxyfop-p-methyl, trifloxystrobin + prothioconazole, azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr, mancozeb, chlorantraniliprole, and thiamethoxam + lambda-cyhalothrin). Stability and pH, surface tension, and droplet parameters of the tank-mixtures were analyzed. No incompatibility was observed in the tank mixtures tested. Mixing dicamba with clethodim and haloxyfop-p-methyl resulted in pH values below 4.5. Auxin herbicides did not show pH buffering capacity and did not prevent pH changes when the others pesticides were added to the tank-mixtures. All mixtures affected surface tension of herbicides relative to the single solutions. The results support the use of auxin herbicides with other pesticides, given that the use of auxin herbicides will probably increase, following the adoption of new dicamba and 2,4-D technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In West Africa, weeds are major production constraints in rain-fed lowland rice systems—often located in the inland valleys. Weed management technologies have been developed and promoted in such rice systems, but adoption by farmers lags behind, probably because of insufficient considerations of the system diversity or the farm-specific characteristics during technology development or promotion. This study aimed to identify farm-type specific entry points for innovations in weed management practices of smallholders in rice-based systems in inland valleys. We conducted farm surveys in the Mono Couffo region of Benin in 66 fields in 2010 and 2011 in a range of socio-economic settings typical for smallholder farms. A combination of multivariate analyses using Principal Component Analysis and Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster is helpful in constructing farm typologies. This categorization, in turn, enables the assessment of farm-type specific weed management strategies and consequently the identification of entry points for innovation. Specific entry points for innovations in weed management include: (i) complementing the existing range of curative options by more preventive measures, (ii) diversifying the existing range of curative measures (mainly hand weeding and herbicide application) by measures that are both non-chemical and labor-saving, and (iii) improving women farmers' access to information and inputs by targeted training endeavors and conducive credit systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raphanus sativus (feral radish), a cosmopolitan weed, has developed resistance to acetohydroxyacid synthase inhibiting herbicides in several countries of South America. This study reports the effects of season-long interference of feral radish on grain yield and yield components of oilseed rape, wheat, and sunflower as well as on feral radish growth under field conditions. The number of inflorescences per area, seeds per inflorescence, and seed biomass of crops were reduced with increasing feral radish densities. The yields of winter crops were more severely affected than that of sunflower. The rectangular hyperbola model revealed yield losses up to 100% and 74.4% in oilseed rape and wheat, respectively, while only 12.2% in sunflower. Similarly, feral radish plants were substantially larger in competition with winter crops than with sunflower. Feral radish produced a maximum of 31,200 and 4700 seeds m−2 in winter crops and sunflower, respectively. Season-long feral radish interference can result in serious economic losses, especially in winter crops. Development and implementation of diverse and effective long-term weed management practices are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weed control success with pre-emergence (PRE) herbicides is affected by environmental factors including rainfall and plant residue. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate PRE herbicide efficacy against johnsongrass [Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers.], prickly sida (Sida spinosa L.) and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.). One experiment investigated herbicide efficacy under two crop residue amounts (2500 and 5000 kg ha−1) and the second examined herbicide efficacy influenced by simulated rain at two, four, and eight days after application (DAA). Five herbicides (pendimethalin, metribuzin, clomazone, imazethapyr and pyroxasulfone) and four nozzles types (XR, ULD, TTI and TTI60) were used. Nozzle type did not affect weed control across residue levels. Pendimethalin better controlled S. halepense under the low residue level. Imazethapyr efficacy for S. spinosa and A. theophrasti increased under high residue level. Imazethapyr applications for S. spinosa and A. theophrasti control were more effective when sprayed with the TTI nozzle regardless of rainfall timing. Longer periods without rain after application improved pendimethalin efficacy against S. spinosa and A. theophrasti, while pyroxasulfone better controlled S. spinosa with rain two DAA. Metribuzin and clomazone provided the best weed control among herbicides for all residue levels and rainfall scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fungus, Fusarium lateritium Nees ex Fr. (FL), has shown potential as a bioherbicide for velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medik.) control. However, to achieve optimal infection and weed mortality, bioherbicide applications must be applied to weeds that are in the cotyledonary growth stage, followed by a dew treatment of at least 16 h. Greenhouse and field experiments were established to discover possible synergistic disease interactions with a phenoxy herbicide to improve the bioherbicidal potential of this fungus, and to mitigate some of the physical and environmental restrictions that limit the utility of this fungus as a bioherbicide. In greenhouse experiments, mortalities of 94% and 94% were recorded from sequential applications of 2,4-DB [4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid] (0.02 kg ae ha−1) followed by FL (1.5 × 106 spores ml−1) at 5 min or 7 days after herbicide treatment. Velvetleaf plants in the fifth-to-seventh leaf growth stage were infected and killed with < 8 hrs. of dew. Similar results occurred under field conditions. Infection and weed control were inhibited by tank mixtures of 2,4-DB and FL, and by sequential applications of FL followed by 2,4-DB. These results suggest that timely applications of 2,4-DB followed by F. lateritium may provide effective control of velvetleaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of these studies was to investigate the uptake of atrazine across the nasal mucosa to determine whether direct transport to the brain through the olfactory epithelium is likely to occur. These studies were undertaken to provide important new information about the potential for the enhanced neurotoxicity of herbicides following nasal inhalation. Transport of atrazine from aqueous solution and from commercial atrazine-containing herbicide products was assessed using excised nasal mucosal tissues. The permeation rate and the role of membrane transporters in the uptake of atrazine across the nasal mucosa were also investigated. Histological examination of the nasal tissues was conducted to assess the effects of commercial atrazine-containing products on nasal tissue morphology. Atrazine showed high flux across both nasal respiratory and olfactory tissues, and efflux transporters were found to play an essential role in limiting its uptake at low exposure concentrations. Commercial atrazine-containing herbicide products showed remarkably high transfer across the nasal tissues, and histological evaluation showed significant changes in the morphology of the nasal epithelium following exposure to the herbicide products. Lipophilic herbicides such as atrazine can freely permeate across the nasal mucosa despite the activity of efflux transporters. The adjuvant compounds in commercial herbicide products disrupt the nasal mucosa's epithelial barrier, resulting in even greater atrazine permeation across the tissues. The properties of the herbicide itself and those of the formulated products play crucial roles in the potential for the enhanced neurotoxicity of herbicides following nasal inhalation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herbicide degradation is one of the key processes determining whether the use of herbicide will have any impact on environmental quality, and it is dependent on various biotic and abiotic factors. The present study evaluates the impact of various abiotic factors such as soil type, application rate, incubation temperature, soil pH, soil microorganisms and sunlight on persistence of metribuzin and its effect on soil enzymes. Half-lives (DT50) varied significantly with application rate of metribuzin and physicochemical properties of soil and ranged from 15.17 to 46.59 days. Metribuzin degraded 2.2 to 6.5 times slower in sterilised soil (DT50 = 35.21 to 115.60 days) as compared to unsterilised soil, indicating microbial degradation is one the most predominant contributors towards degradation of metribuzin in soil. Increase in degradation rate on exposure to sunlight indicated photodegradation also contributes significantly to the degradation of metribuzin. Deaminometribuzin, diketometribuzin and deaminodiketometribuzin metabolites of metribuzin were detected in all treatments. Dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activities were significantly affected by application of metribuzin while urease activity remained unaffected. The physicochemical properties viz. pH, organic matter content and temperature should be considered along with application rate of metribuzin in order to achieve satisfactory weed control and reduce environmental risk associated with the use of metribuzin in different crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide worldwide. Research on human health effects has been limited and the toxicokinetics of glyphosate have not been widely examined. This research aimed to study the excretion profile and half-life of glyphosate in farmers and residents who use glyphosate to control weeds in their agricultural fields and near their households, respectively. Multiple spot urine samples per day were collected from the participants for 3 consecutive days after spraying glyphosate. The participants were interviewed about general characteristics, planting activities, glyphosate use, and their health problems related to glyphosate use. Glyphosate concentrations in urine samples were determined by HPLC with a fluorescence detector. The average age of residents (56.4 years) was significantly higher than that of farmers (45.5 years). The glyphosate excretion profile of most participants showed a gradual decline in glyphosate concentrations, but with or without additional exposures some of the profiles showed a jagged pattern of decline. The average urinary half-life of glyphosate in all participants was 24.58 h (95% CI: 18.43–30.73) and 20.95 h (95%CI: 16.85–25.05) for creatinine adjusted and non-adjusted measurements, respectively. The urinary glyphosate half-life measurements among the residents and farmers were not significantly different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between bacterial diversity and the bioavailability of nutrients, toxic metals and the herbicide oxyfluorfen in a tropical vegetable growing area was evaluated. The study was conducted in a vegetable growing area located in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), and samples were collected in areas of vegetable cultivation and areas of environmental reserve. Fertility analyses and determination of the pseudototal levels of toxic metals in the soil samples were performed. The profile of the soil bacterial community was determined by amplification of the 16S rRNA gene and separation by DGGE. The results showed that the levels of toxic metals and elements associated with soil fertility were higher in vegetable production areas. These differences in the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil favored the presence of a greater number of OTUs in the cultivation areas (17.3-27 OTUs) than in the areas of environmental reserve (13-22 OTUs). Therefore, this study demonstrates that the presence of toxic metals and the herbicide oxyfluorfen and the increase in fertility in soils in areas with intensive vegetable cultivation resulting from the intensive management adopted in these areas promotes a differentiation of the bacterial profiles in soils in tropical vegetable growing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review aimed to evaluate the impacts of oil palm-cattle integration systems on food security and environmental sustainability. We reviewed more than 100 papers and selected those that reported the advantages of these systems. Oil palm-cattle integration has been implemented in some Southeast Asian countries, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, but it is not widely adopted by oil palm plantations. These systems are mainly driven by policies to enhance food security and reduce environmental impacts. Oil palm-cattle integration can contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals, such as (SDG 1 and 2) no poverty and zero hunger, because it allows for more and diverse food production on the same land, and it increases the income per hectare by up to 15% due to higher oil palm yield (up to 4 t FFB/ha) and lower weed control costs (up to 60%) with rotational grazing. It can also support (SDG 6, 12, 13) responsible production and consumption, clean water and sanitation, and climate action, because it can decrease herbicide use, enhance biodiversity (understory and beneficial species), and improve soil quality. Moreover, it can mitigate the risk of indirect land use change associated with deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis evaluates the association between atrazine (ATR) exposure and small for gestational age (SGA), preterm birth (PTB), and low birth weight (LBW). A comprehensive search was done on academic databases (e.g. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar) to achieve all pertinent studies up to May 2023. A pooled odd ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were applied to evaluate this correlation. As a result, five eligible studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in our study, and the result of the present meta-analysis showed that ATR exposure increased the risk of SGA (OR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.03–1.20 for highest versus lowest category of ATR), PTB (OR = 1.16; 95% CI = 1.03–1.30), and LBW (OR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.10–1.44). This meta-analysis suggests that ATR in drinking water may be a risk factor for SGA, PTB, and LBW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New Zealand has fewer numbers of herbicide-resistant crop weeds than many other highly developed economies, yet these numbers are likely to increase in the future. A clear indication of the scale of this risk can be derived from the predictable structure in the global occurrence of herbicide-resistant weeds that results from similarities in agronomic and environmental conditions. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to identify groups of countries with similar herbicide-resistant weed assemblages to New Zealand. A distinct cluster of 11 European countries with strong climatic and agronomic affinities to New Zealand was identified. The combined assemblage of herbicide-resistant weeds within this cluster consisted of 27 species and the potential risk of a species evolving herbicide resistance was calculated as its frequency among these European countries. Species with potential to become herbicide resistant in New Zealand included established crop weeds (e.g. Senecio vulgaris, Tripleurospermum inodorum) as well as species only encountered as contaminants of seed imports (e.g. Alopecurus myosuroides, Apera spica-venti). All eight species already known to be herbicide-resistant in New Zealand were found in the high-risk assemblage and this indicates that the analysis provided a realistic measure of future risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A government research grant and industry co-funding allowed us to briefly provide free tests of suspected cases of herbicide resistance using traditional seedling-based assays. Information about the service was disseminated through the Foundation for Arable Research and other weed management professionals. Between 2019 and 2022 we received 248 seed samples collected by rural professionals from individual plants suspected of resistance. We successfully tested 195 samples from eight species from 57 farms. Rural professionals were good at recognising cases of resistance; 77% of these seed samples from 40 farms (70%) had resistance confirmed. We gained insights into contextually unique cases of resistance previously undescribed in the literature in New Zealand, including ryegrass resistance to glyphosate in a barley crop, Poa annua resistance to iodosulfuron in wheat, and Phalaris minor resistance to iodosulfuron in wheat. Resistance was typically confirmed 6–8 weeks after planting seed samples, though for species with seed after-ripening requirements to ensure consistent germination, results took as long as 6 months. The results facilitated conversations about long-term resistance avoidance strategies. Future costs of an independent resistance testing service would ideally be shared by the stakeholders benefitting from the crop protection product value chain, from herbicide producers to land managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of cover crops can improve the environmental sustainability of intensive cropping systems. A five-year field trial was undertaken to evaluate the effect of multi-season cover cropping on weed suppression within a no-till spring-planted maize system in the Waikato region in New Zealand. Five cover crop treatments were compared: gland clover (Trifolium glanduliferum Boiss.); faba bean (Vicia faba L); oats (Avena sativa L.); and Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and winter fallow. The results demonstrated that in this system, herbicide treatments can be reduced to one application to terminate the winter cover crop and a single maize post-emergence application, thus reducing selection pressure for herbicide-resistance, without any loss in silage or grain production. Furthermore, a legume-based cover crop gave higher yields than the grass cover-crops and reduced the damage by the maize and grass pest cosmopolitan armyworm (Mythimna separata Walker). The build-up of crop residue over time was detrimental to the establishment of the small-seeded clover and ryegrass cover crops but good weed suppression and grain yields were achieved in the final season by replacing them respectively with the larger seeded woolly pod vetch (Vicia eriocarpa (Hausskn.) Halácsy) and a blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius L.)/ mustard (Sinapis alba L.) mix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, herbicides have provided easy-to-use, cost-effective weed management, but alternatives are desired. Consumer preference for chemical-free food, awareness of environmental impacts, regulation increasingly restricting agrichemical use, and increasing prevalence of herbicide resistance are forcing changes to weed management strategies. New Zealand farming must remain sustainable and profitable while responding to changes in its overseas markets, among which are increasing demands for regeneratively grown, safe, high-quality produce. Current reliance on herbicides should be reduced, with more emphasis on preventative management by cultural means, and weed suppression by alternative technologies. The emergence of agritechnologies incorporating automation, machine vision and artificial intelligence, and development of new techniques for weed destruction, offer alternatives that minimise or avoid the requirement for herbicides, avoid soil disturbance and can work effectively in high crop or crop-residue conditions. We have identified electric weeding as a feasible alternative and pulsed electric microshocks as a very low-energy option requiring a fraction of the energy of any other system. Pulsed microshocks enable an integrated weed management system for vegetable and arable crop production combining cultural controls and inexpensive pre-planting treatments with automated application of chemical-free in-crop weed control. Open-source software enables community development of autonomous deployment for niche crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]