Environmental properties, sulfonylurea herbicides

The sulfonylurea herbicides are a new family of chemical compounds, some of which are selectively toxic to weeds but not to crops. The selectivity of the sulfonylureas results from their metabolism to non-toxic compounds by particular crops, but not by weeds. In addition to efficient weed control, the sulfonylurea herbicides provide environmentally desirable properties such as field use rates as low as two grams/hectare and very low toxicity to mammals. The high specificity of the herbicides for their molecular target contributes to both of these properties. In addition, the low toxicity to mammals results from their lack of the target enzyme for the herbicides. Sulfonylureas inhibit the enzyme acetolactate synthase (ALS), also known as acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), which catalyzes the first common step in the biosynthesis of the branched chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. In mammals these are three of the essential amino acids which must be obtained through dietary intake because the biosynthetic pathway for the branched chain amino acids is not present. The prototype structure of a sulfonylurea herbicide is shown in Figure 1. 

Plant Biochemistry, Environmental Properties, and Global Impact of the Sulfonylurea Herbicides... 

The remainder of this chapter will describe the mode of action, crop selectivity mechanisms and environmental properties of the sulfonylurea herbicides. Other issues including resistant weeds and recropping intervals will also be discussed. 

Conclusion. In this chapter, we have attempted a broad overview of the biochemical and environmental properties of the sulfonylurea herbicides. The history of these herbicides is distinguished by the apparently endless variation in structure leading to new weed control spectra, crop selectivities and soil degradation properties. They have already achieved significant use in j ctice, and it is likely that Dr. Levitt s discovery will continue to yield new herbicide tools offering viable solutions to the needs of world agriculture and of society. 

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