HERBICIDE DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT - EMPHASIS ON GROUNDWATER PROTECTION

Protecting our groundwater from contamination is a major consideration in the design of a herbicide discovery and evaluation programme. The early stages of herbicide discovery and development should include cri teria to select compounds with potentially low risks for groundwater c ontamination. The scheme used by Sandoz Agro, Inc. to evaluate and sel ect herbicides for commercialization is reviewed. Laboratory and green house data, computer simulation to predict herbicide behaviour in the soil environment, and field observations are included in the decision- making process.