Sulfonylurea microbial degradation

Sulfonylureas are systemic herbicides absorbed by the foliage and roots. They act by inhibiting acetolactate synthase, a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of branched chain aminoacids." This results in stopping cell division and plant growth. The most important degradation pathways of sulfonylureas are chemical hydrolysis and microbial degradation. 

In the soil, there are two major pathways of sulfonylurea degradation [58] (a) chemical hydrolysis and (b) microbial degradation. The breakdown of sulfony-lureas in sterile soils is solely attributable to chemical hydrolysis, whereas breakdown in non-sterile soils is a combination of both microbial degradation and... 

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