Effects of herbicides on bryophytes

Subject: Re: Effects of herbicides on bryophytes
Date: Wed, 7 May 1997 14:08:21 -0500
From: xianson@falcon.cc.ukans.edu (Michael Christianson)
To: bryonet-l@mtu.edu

You might want to check with the professional herbicidal maniacs at
herbnet@iastate.edu

I have only unpublished laboratory observations.
With the moss Funaria (and in some cases Ceratodon and
Physcomitrella), herbicide effects are often a surprise.

Atrazine --
Thought I'd be able to kill off green cells and select for
chlorophyll deficient or albino mutants --
but atrazine didn't kill my moss until 10-5 M

Fluridone (SONAR)
gives white moss at 10-7 or 10-6 M; growth of Funaria
Physcomitrella more recuded than growth of Ceratodon on sucrose
supplemented medium.

Clorsulfuron, Sulfometuron methyl and other ALS inhibitors
tobacco and Arabidopsis dies at 10-8M; mosses are happy at 10-4M --
if you add 1mM threonine, 10-6 M gives complete restriction of growth.

Of course, I'd love to hear about results you get from actual field trials
-- I'm always in the market for selectable markers and herbicide-resistant
mutants are real handy things.

Michael L. Christianson
Assistant Professor of Botany
7016 Haworth Hall
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas 66045

xianson@falcon.cc.ukans.edu
913/864-3995 voice
913/864-5294 FAX

Moss-R-Us .... and Toto too!