Methiozolin is a new turf herbicide controlling Poa species being developed by Moghu Research Center and commercialized in Korea. This study was conducted to elucidate its mode of action and translocation in susceptible plants. When the herbicide was treated on leaves or roots of Poa annua, herbicidal symptoms were observed by either treatment; however, P. annua was completely killed only by the root treatment. Amounts of methiozolin absorbed into leaves and roots of P. annua were about 60 and 40%, respectively, of the administered at 7 days after treatment. When treated to the leaf, the rate of translocation to the upper leaves was about 2% of the absorbed; by comparison, when treated to roots, it was approximately 20%. Methiozolin inhibited root elongation of corn, a susceptible plant, within 6 h, and glucose incorporation into hemicellulose and cellulose of corn root cell walls by 50 to 70% at 1 �M after 24 h. The herbicidal symptom was primarily stunting and discoloration; however, it was different from those of known cell wall biosynthesis herbicides or other existing herbicides. The results suggest that methiozolin shows herbicidal activity through root absorption, and inhibits cell wall biosynthesis, directly or indirectly.

Methiozolin mode of action and translocation in plants

248th National Meeting (2014)

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