ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS ON NONTARGET PLANTS FROM SULFONYLUREA HERBICIDES USING FIELD APPROACHES

Since their introduction in the early 1980s, there have been a number of field studies conducted to assess the effects of sulfonylurea herbi cides on nontarget plants (i.e. plants not labeled for use). In these studies a wide variety of plant response assessment techniques have be en used to measure effects on nontarget plants. This paper examines th e relationship of short-term plant response measurements to plant prod uctivity measurements such as yield or quality. Whether short-term pla nt response measurements have a practical degree of accuracy and preci sion appropriate for hazard assessment on non-target plants from sulfo nylureas is discussed. A comprehensive review of published literature and unpublished field studies of the effects of sulfonylureas on the y ield and quality of non-target plant species is reported. When this in formation is coupled with exposure factors and environmental fate char acteristics, the risks to nontarget plants from sulfonylureas are simi lar to those from other herbicides used at higher application rates. ( C) 1998 SCI.