“Herbicides and Their

Mechanisms of Action”

Integrated Pest Management &

Certification Training

Richard D. Lee
IPM Specialist
USDI-BLM
Journey in Time
„ 1984:
Cyanamid BASF
Miles Eli Lilly
Dow DuPont
Stauffer Shell
ICI Americas CIBA-Geigy
Monsanto Nor-AM
Union Carbide Hoechst
Rohm & Haas Velsicol
Zoecon ISK Biotech
FMC Ortho
20
20companies
companies
Journey in Time
„ Early 2002:
Syngenta
Bayer
BASF
Dow AgroSciences
DuPont
Valent
Monsanto
FMC

88companies
companies
 Active Ingredients
Approved for Use on BLM
„ Atrazine AAtrex Nine-O ® Syngenta
„ Bromacil Hyvar ® DuPont
„ Chlorsulfuron Telar ® DuPont
„ Clopyralid Transline ® Dow AgroSci.
„ 2,4-D various several
„ Dicamba Clarity ® BASF
Vanquish ® Syngenta
„ Diuron Karmex ® Griffin
„ Fosamine
Ammonium Krenite ® DuPont
„ Glyphosate Roundup Pro ® Monsanto
AquaMaster ® Monsanto
„ Hexazinone Velpar L ® DuPont
 Active Ingredients
Approved for Use on BLM
„ Imazapyr Arsenal ® BASF
„ Imazapic Plateau ® BASF
„ Mefluidide Embark ® PBI Gordon
„ Metsulfuron
methyl Escort XP ® DuPont
„ Picloram Tordon 22K ® Dow AgroSci.
„ Simazine Princep ® Syngenta
„ Sulfometuron
methyl Oust XP ® DuPont
„ Tebuthiuron Spike 20P ® Dow AgroSci.
„ Triclopyr Garlon 3A, 4 ® Dow AgroSci.
Classification of Herbicides
„ Application Method
„ Foliar Applied
• Plant contact
„ Soil Applied
• Soil contact
„ Broadcast
• Entire area
„ Spot
• Specified area
Classification of Herbicides
„ Application Timing
„ Preemergence
• Prior to seed
germination
„ Postemergence
• After seed
germination and
active growth
„ Post-directed
• Directed to
particular portion of
plant once emerged
and growing
Classification of Herbicides
„ Plant/Soil
Environment
„ Selectivity
• Selective vs
nonselective
„ Systemic
• Mobile vs non-
mobile in the plant
„ Residual Activity
• Extended vs non-
extended soil
activity
Classification of Herbicides
„ Formulation
„ Liquid
• Solution
• Emulsifiable conc.
• Flowable
„ Dry
• Soluble powder
• Wettable powder
• Dry flowable
• Granular
Classification of Herbicides
„ Mechanism of
Activity
„ “Why You See
What You See
When You See”
Focus of the discussion

„ Lets take some

time discussing
how herbicides kill
their target and
what it looks like.
What To Do If Herbicide
Injury is Suspected.
„ 1. Seek background information.
„ History of the area.
„ 2. Evaluate what is seen.
„ Look at the roots.
„ Loot at the stems.

„ Look at the leaves.

„ Consider all possible options or

situations.
What To Do If Herbicide
Injury is Suspected.
„ Identify possible source.
„ Off-target movement.
„ Wrong herbicide.

„ Improper Application.

„ Other options/ideas???
Herbicide Behavior in Plants
„ To understand
herbicide injury
we need to
understand the
ways in which
herbicides do
their job.
 Remember!!!!

“Herbicide injury, in
most cases, is the
result of the
herbicide, doing
what it was
designed to do, in
the wrong place at
the wrong time.”
 Active Ingredients
Approved for Use on BLM
„ Atrazine AAtrex Nine-O ® Syngenta
„ Bromacil Hyvar ® DuPont
„ Chlorsulfuron Telar ® DuPont
„ Clopyralid Transline ® Dow AgroSci.
„ 2,4-D various several
„ Dicamba Clarity ® BASF
Vanquish ® Syngenta
„ Diuron Karmex ® Griffin
„ Fosamine
Ammonium Krenite ® DuPont
„ Glyphosate Roundup Pro ® Monsanto
AquaMaster ® Monsanto
„ Hexazinone Velpar L ® DuPont
 Active Ingredients
Approved for Use on BLM
„ Imazapyr Arsenal ® BASF
„ Imazapic Plateau ® BASF
„ Mefluidide Embark ® PBI Gordon
„ Metsulfuron
methyl Escort XP ® DuPont
„ Picloram Tordon 22K ® Dow AgroSci.
„ Simazine Princep ® Syngenta
„ Sulfometuron
methyl Oust XP ® DuPont
„ Tebuthiuron Spike 20P ® Dow AgroSci.
„ Triclopyr Garlon 3A, 4 ® Dow AgroSci.
Types of Herbicide Injury
„ 1. Plant Growth Regulation
„ 2. Photosynthesis Inhibitors
„ 3. Photosynthetic Pigment Inhibitors
„ 4. Plant Growth Inhibitors
„ 5. Amino Acid Synthesis Inhibition
„ 6. Lipid Biosynthesis Inhibition
„ 7. Cell Membrane Disruption
„ 8. Unclassified Activity
 Active Ingredients
Approved for Use on BLM
„ Atrazine Photosynthetic Inhibitor
„ Bromacil Photosynthetic Inhibitor
„ Chlorsulfuron Amino Acid Biosynthesis
„ Clopyralid Plant Growth Regulator
„ 2,4-D Plant Growth Regulator
„ Dicamba Plant Growth Regulator
„ Diuron Photosynthetic Inhibitor
„ Fosamine
Ammonium Plant Growth Regulator
„ Glyphosate Amino Acid Biosynthesis
„ Hexazinone Photosynthetic Inhibitor
 Active Ingredients
Approved for Use on BLM
„ Imazapyr Amino Acid Biosynthesis
„ Imazapic Amino Acid Biosynthesis
„ Mefluidide Plant Growth Regulator
„ Metsulfuron
methyl Amino Acid Biosynthesis
„ Picloram Plant Growth Regulator
„ Simazine Photosynthetic Inhibitor
„ Sulfometuron
methyl Amino Acid Biosynthesis
„ Tebuthiuron Photosynthetic Inhibitor
„ Triclopyr Plant Growth Regulator
Types of Herbicide Injury
„ 1. Plant Growth Regulation
„ 2. Photosynthesis Inhibitors
„ 3. Photosynthetic Pigment Inhibitors
„ 4. Plant Growth Inhibitors
„ 5. Amino Acid Synthesis Inhibition
„ 6. Lipid Biosynthesis Inhibition
„ 7. Cell Membrane Disruption
„ 8. Unclassified Activity
Mechanism of Action &
Herbicides Used

„ Plant Growth
Regulating
Herbicides
Plant Growth Regulation
„ Activity is similar to that of IAA.
„ Addition of “synthetic IAA” results in an
imbalance of the growth regulating
hormone.
„ Cells of the leaf vein rapidly divide while
cells between the veins do not.
„ Cell division and respiration increase,
while photosynthesis does not.
Plant Growth Regulation
„ What are you going to see visually?
„ 1. Strap-like leaves - parallel veins in
the leaves.
„ 2. Downward twisting and cupping of
the leaves.
„ 3. Excessive adventitious root
formation will be stimulated upon
root contact.
Plant Growth Regulation

Inter-venal
Inter-venalCells
CellsDo
DoNot
NotDivide
Divide

Leaf
LeafVein
VeinCell
CellDivide
Divide
Plant Growth Regulation
„ Examples include:
„ 2,4-D
„ Dicamba
„ Picloram
„ Clopyralid
„ Triclopyr
How does this type of injury
occur?
„ Drift - both particle and vapor.
„ Improper cleaning of equipment.
„ Applying when air temperatures
exceed those listed on the label.
„ Exceeding the labelled rate.
Mechanism of Action &
Herbicides Used

„ Photosynthetic
Inhibiting
Herbicides
Photosynthesis Inhibitors
„ The photosynthetic process is shut
down.
„ Generally applied to the soil, moves
through the plant in the xylem
system.
„ Foliage and stems are affected, yet
the root system is not.
Photosynthesis Inhibitors
„ Plants exposed to treated soil will
germinate and emerge, take up the
herbicide and move it to the leaves
where it will result in injury.
Photosynthesis Inhibitors
„ What are you going to see visually?
„ 1. Plants turn yellow and die as a result of
chlorophyll breakdown.
„ 2. As the injury proceeds, the plant will
turn brown and die from the bottom of
the plant to the top of the plant.
„ 3. Leaves initially turn yellow between the
veins, dying from the tip towards the
base, and from the outer edge to the
center.
Photosynthesis Inhibitors
„ Examples Include:
„ Atrazine
„ Bromacil
„ Diuron
„ Hexazinone
„ Simazine
„ Tebuthiuron
How does this type of injury
occur?
„ Movement of treated soil - these
herbicides are residual.
„ Lack of incorporation into the soil.
„ Applying in an area where the root
system of desirable plants can take
up the herbicide.
„ NOT READING THE LABEL.
„ Failing to understand the residual
capability of these herbicides.
Mechanism of Action &
Herbicides Used

„ Amino Acid
Synthesis
Inhibiting
Herbicides
Amino Acid Synthesis
Inhibition
„ Injury is associated with a particular
enzyme, which, in turn, is associated with
a particular amino acid process.
„ Visual results are the result of secondary
injury – the injury as the beginning of a
chain of events that take place in the
plant.
„ This is why the visual symptoms take time to
develop – it is not an immediate process.
Amino Acid Synthesis
Inhibition
Amino Acid Synthesis
Inhibition
„ May or may not have soil activity.
„ Activity associated with a particular
amino acid synthesis sequence.
„ Acetyl CoA Carboxylase (ACCase) - Select
„ Acetolacte Synthase (ALS) - Arsenal, Escort
„ EPSPase Inhibitor - Roundup
„ Interference is translated to protein
synthesis and inhibition of growth which
takes time - slow acting.
Amino Acid Synthesis
Inhibition
„ What are you going to see visually?
„ Initially there will be a general
yellowing of the treated plants.
„ After 5 to 10 days, chlorosis results in
necrosis.
Amino Acid Synthesis
Inhibition
„ Imidazolinones „ Sulfonylureas
„ Arsenal „ Escort
„ Plateau „ Oust
„ Sahara „ Telar
„ Top Site

„ Glyphosate
„ Roundup
How does this type of injury
occur?
„ Drift - application on a windy day.
„ Movement of treated soil.
„ Failure to apply the correct amount – the
use rates are small and an error in
measuring can make a large difference.
Summary Ideas
„ By taking time to
learn about the visual
symptoms associated
with the different
classes of herbicides -
you can more easily
understand what you
see, when you see it.
Summary
„ Just Remember:

„ “Worrying has killed more

people than work
because more people
worry than work.”