Radioisotopes in Weed Research

Book excerpt: Herbicides are of great importance in weed management and are one of the most widely used pesticide groups for weed control across the globe. Concerns around the residual effects of these intensively used chemicals are equally widespread. Offering a new direction for research that focuses on herbicide behavior and its impacts on the environment, this book covers the use of radioisotopes in weed research and the detoxification of herbicides. Applying technological advances in radiation detection, Radioisotopes in Weed Research explains how isotopic techniques can be used to identify degradation products and trace the fate of herbicides applied to crop plants. This book provides essential information on the historical use and recent advances of radioisotopes in weed research. It demonstrates the potential these methods offer the field of weed science in gaining a better understanding of the behavior of herbicides in plants and soil and working to ensure the continuous, effective, and safe use of herbicides, minimizing harmful impacts on ecosystems. Features: Explains the radiometric method with studies of radiolabelled herbicides and includes case studies as examples Describes radiometric methods to study the behavior of herbicides in soil from transport and transformation to retention Elucidates the absorption, translocation, and metabolism studies of herbicides in plants Authored by a team of leading scientists, this book is written for professors, researchers, extensionists, graduate and undergraduate students, rural producers, and other professionals involved in weed science.