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Effect of Glyphosate on Membrane Permeability in Red Beet (Beta vulgaris) Root Tissue

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

R. A. Fletcher
Affiliation:
Dep. Environ. Biol., Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. N1G 2W1
P. Hildebrand
Affiliation:
Dep. Environ. Biol., Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. N1G 2W1
W. Akey
Affiliation:
Dep. Environ. Biol., Univ. of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. N1G 2W1

Abstract

When discs of red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) root were immersed in various concentrations of glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] either in phosphate (pH 6.8) or citrate (pH 6.2) buffer, no efflux of betacyanin occurred even after 1 week. This suggests that glyphosate had little or no effect on membrane permeability. When beet discs were immersed in distilled water containing glyphosate, the betacyanin efflux increased with time and concentration. Measurement of pH indicated that the solutions were strongly acidic at first, but tended to approach a pH of 6.0 over 8 h, after which time betacyanin efflux slowed down or stopped. The tissue was able to buffer the solutions sufficiently to prevent further efflux. When tissue discs were immersed in a series of citrate buffer ranging from pH 3 to 6.2, efflux occurred at pH 3 and slightly at pH 6.2. Efflux was not altered significantly with the addition of glyphosate.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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References

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