Glufosinate
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Preferred IUPAC name
2-Amino-4-[hydroxy(methylphosphonoyl)]butanoic acid | |
Other names
Phosphinothricin
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Identifiers | |
3D model (
JSmol ) |
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ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard
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100.051.893 |
EC Number |
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KEGG | |
PubChem CID
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C5H12NO4P | |
Molar mass | 181.128 g·mol−1 |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Glufosinate (also known as phosphinothricin and often sold as an
Discovery
In the 1960s and early 1970s, scientists at
In the late 1980s scientists discovered enzymes in these Streptomyces species that selectively inactivate free phosphinothricin; the gene encoding the enzyme that was isolated from Streptomyces hygroscopicus was called the "bialaphos resistance" or "bar" gene, and the gene encoding the enzyme in Streptomyces viridochromogenes was called "phosphinothricin acetyltransferase" or "pat".[4]: 98 The two genes and their proteins have 80% homology on the DNA level and 86% amino acid homology, and are each 158 amino acids long.[4]: 98
Use
Glufosinate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that is used to control important weeds such as
- directed sprays for weed control, including in genetically modified crops
- use as a crop desiccation to facilitate harvesting[5]
Glufosinate also has shown to provide some protection against various plant diseases, as it also acts to kill fungi and bacteria on contact.[6]
Genetically modified crops
Genetically modified crops resistant to glufosinate were created by genetically engineering the bar or pat genes from streptomyces into the relevant crop seeds.[4]: 98 [7] In 1995 the first glufosinate-resistant crop, canola, was brought to market, and it was followed by corn in 1997, cotton in 2004, and soybeans in 2011.[7]
Mode of action
Phosphinothricin is a
Elevated levels of ammonia are detectable within one hour after application of phosphinothricin.[3]
Toxicity
Exposure to humans in foods
As glufosinate is often used as a pre-harvest desiccant, it can be found in foods that humans ingest. Such foods include potatoes, peas, beans, corn, wheat, and barley. In addition, the chemical can be passed to humans through animals who are fed contaminated straw. Flour processed from wheat grain that contained traces of glufosinate was found to retain 10-100% of the chemicals' residues.[9]
The herbicide is also persistent; it has been found to be prevalent in spinach, radishes, wheat and carrots that were planted 120 days after the treatment of the herbicide.[3] Its persistent nature can also be observed by its half-life which varies from 3 to 70 days depending on the soil type and organic matter content.[3] Residues can remain in frozen food for up to two years and the chemical is not easily destroyed by cooking the food item in boiling water.[9] The EPA classifies the chemical as 'persistent' and 'mobile' based on its lack of degradation and ease of transport through soil. A study revealed the presence of circulating PAGMF in women with and without pregnancy, paving the way for a new field in reproductive toxicology including nutrition and utero-placental toxicities[10]
Exposure limits
There are no exposure limits established by the
Regulation
Glufosinate is a United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA registered chemical. It is also a California registered chemical. It is not banned in the country and it is not a PIC pesticide.[12] There are no exposure limits established by OSHA or the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.[11]
Glufosinate is not approved for use as an herbicide in Europe; it was last reviewed in 2007 and that registration expired in 2018.
References
- ^ "glufosinate-ammonium". PPDB: Pesticide Properties DataBase.
- PMID 15574905.
- ^ a b c d e f Topsy Jewell for Friends of the Earth (December 1998). "Glufosinate ammonium fact sheet". Pesticides News No.42. Archived from the original on 2015-07-01.
- ^ ISBN 9783642594168
- ^ "The agronomic benefits of glyphosate in Europe" (PDF). Monsanto Europe SA. February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-01-17.
- ^ ISBN 9780080931395. Page 97
- ^ ISBN 9781118043547 Page 112
- ^ Summary of Herbicide Mechanism of Action, HRAC and WSSA
- ^ a b c d Watts, Meriel. "Glufosinate Ammonium Monograph" (PDF). Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
- S2CID 16144327.
- ^ a b "Chemical Identification and Company Information : DL-Phosphinothricin, Monoammonium Salt" (PDF). Phytotechlab.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-04-25.
- ^ The Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent (PIC)
- ^ European Commission. Glufosinate in EU Pesticides Database Page accessed August 7, 2015
- ^ Anses. L’Anses procède au retrait de l’autorisation de mise sur le marché du Basta F1, un produit phytopharmaceutique à base de glufosinate Page accessed October 26, 2017
External links
- BASF's site of LibertyLink crops
- "Basta technical guide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-27.
- Glufosinate in the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB)
- Glufosinate-ammonium in the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB)
- Glufosinate-P in the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB)