Morphophysiological traits and atrazine sensitivity in Chenopodium album L.
BACKGROUND
A Chenopodium album L. biotype surviving in atrazine-treated Serbian corn fields (VC) was compared against atrazine-susceptible (S) and atrazine-resistant (R) standards.


RESULTS
Atrazine (2 kg ha(-1)) killed S and VC shoot biomass 15 days after treatment (DAT), but R was only suppressed by 42% and survived 8 kg ha(-1). Atrazine at 2 kg ha(-1) only inhibited VC height by 60% as against 100 and 0% for S and R respectively. Chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and transpiration were insensitive to atrazine in R, but were inhibited by 90 and 100% in S and by 50 and 60% in VC respectively. Decline of Fv/Fm after 2 kg ha(-1) atrazine was stabilized at 3 DAT for the VC biotype.


CONCLUSIONS
A toxicity mitigation mechanism could have facilitated VC survival in an atrazine-treated field. Further knowledge on this mechanism is needed to establish if surviving VC plants are indicators of atrazine resistance evolution in these Serbian corn fields. Variables related to foliar function provided better detection of weed mechanisms to survive herbicide action than the usual shoot biomass measurements.
Pavlovic
Danijela
D
Institute for Plant Protection and Environment, Teodora Drajzera 9, Belgrade, Serbia.
Vrbnicanin
Sava
S
Bozic
Dragana
D
Fischer
Albert J
AJ
D001280:Atrazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D027463:Chenopodium album / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D053209:Herbicide Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D006540:Herbicides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D013997:Time Factors
D006540:Herbicides; D001280:Atrazine