Determination of plant resistance to carbamate herbicidal compounds inhibiting cell division and early growth by seed and plantlets bioassays

• Published in: Nature protocols Vol. 1; no. 5; pp. 2282 - 2287
• Main Authors: Wolf, Shmuel, Weiss, Yael, Rubin, Baruch, Shulman, Avidor, Shir, Irina Ben, Keinan, Ehud
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Nature Publishing Group 01.12.2006
• Subjects: Bioassays; Biological assay; Biological Assay - methods; Carbamates; Cell division; Cell Division - drug effects; Genetic engineering; Germination - drug effects; Herbicide Resistance; Herbicides; Herbicides - pharmacology; Magnoliopsida - drug effects; Measurement; Methods; Phenylcarbamates - pharmacology; Plant growth; Plant resistance; Plant Roots - growth & development; Plant species; Properties; Sand; Seed germination; Seedlings - drug effects; United States
• ISSN: 1754-2189; 1750-2799
• DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2006.380

Herbicide-resistant plants can be generated by either traditional breeding procedures or genetic engineering. Analyses of plant responses to a newly developed herbicide or the tolerance level of a newly developed plant line to a given herbicide are based on various bioassays. Here, we describe several methods for quantitative measurements of plants' responses to propham application, as a model herbicide of the carbamate family. Dose-response assays include seed germination and analyses of shoot and root elongation on paper. To better reflect the natural interaction between the plant, the soil and the herbicide, a protocol for germination and root elongation on sand is described. Finally, a more sensitive bioassay is based on plant growth on agar medium. The described protocols are simple, reproducible and can be easily adopted for a variety of plant species and for various herbicides. Plants' response to a given herbicide can be determined within a few weeks.