Interactions between soil-applied herbicides in the roots of some legume species

The effects on plant growth of applying trifluralin or nitralin combination with simazine, atrazine, prometryne and linuron to the upper 5-cm root region of vetch (Vicia sativa L.), pea (Pisum sativum L.) and soybean (Glycine max) were investigated. Foliar injury due to herbicides of the second group was markedly reduced in each species by simultaneous treatment with trifluralin or nitralin both of which inhibited lateral root growth without affecting aerial plant growth or tap root extension growth. This inhibition of lateral root growth in roots treated with trifluralin or nitralin was associated with reduced uptake and subsequent transport to the foliage of ¹⁴C-labelled simazine in vetch and pea and ¹⁴C-labelled atrazine in soybean. This probably accounted for the reduction in simazine and atrazine phytotoxicity. In the presence of trifluralin or nitralin comparatively higher amounts of radioactivity were retained in the roots of pea and soybean and this reduced the amount of ¹⁴C available for transport to the foliage. This was not evident in vetch.