Exotic C4 Grasses Have Increased Tolerance to Glyphosate under Elevated Carbon Dioxide

The increase in atmospheric CO2 levels can influence the growth of many invasive exotic plant species. However, it is not well-documented, especially for C4 plants, how these growth responses will alter the effectiveness of the world's most widely used herbicide for weed control, glyphosate. We...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Weed science 2011-01, Vol.59 (1), p.28-36
Main Authors: Manea, A, Leishman, M. R, Downey, P. O
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alien plants
application rate
Atmospherics
Biological and medical sciences
biomass
Biomass production
C4 plants
Carbon dioxide
Chemical control
climate change
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
glyphosate
grasses
greenhouse experimentation
Greenhouses
herbicide
introduced plants
Invasive species
Leaf area
leaves
Parasitic plants. Weeds
photosynthetic pathway
Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection
Plant growth
Plants
root shoot ratio
Seedlings
shoots
WEED BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY
weed control
Weeds
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Summary:The increase in atmospheric CO2 levels can influence the growth of many invasive exotic plant species. However, it is not well-documented, especially for C4 plants, how these growth responses will alter the effectiveness of the world's most widely used herbicide for weed control, glyphosate. We aimed to address this question by carrying out a series of glasshouse experiments to determine if tolerance to glyphosate is increased in four C4 invasive exotic grasses grown under elevated CO2 in nonlimiting water conditions. In addition, traits including specific leaf area, leaf weight ratio, leaf area ratio, root ∶ shoot ratio, total leaf area, and total biomass were measured in order to assess their contribution to glyphosate response under ambient and elevated CO2 levels. Three of the four mature grass species that were treated with the recommended concentration of glyphosate displayed increased tolerance to glyphosate under elevated CO2. This was due to increased biomass production resulting in a dilution effect on the glyphosate within the plant. From this study, we can conclude that as atmospheric CO2 levels increase, application rates of glyphosate might need to be increased to counteract the growth stimulation of invasive exotic plants. Nomenclature: Glyphosate.
ISSN:0043-1745
1550-2759
DOI:10.1614/WS-D-10-00080.1