Chlorophyll Fluorescence Assay for the Determination of Triazine Resistance

Abstract

A procedure is described for the rapid analysis of leaf samples to determine triazine resistance. The technique uses a commercially available fluorometer and is based upon the fact that photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides increase chlorophyll fluorescence (because of dissipation of absorbed radiant energy in the absence of useful photochemistry). Resistant and susceptible biotypes of six weed species were assayed. Fluorescence of susceptible leaf sections increased dramatically over a 1- to 3-h exposure to atrazine [2-chloro-4-(ethylamino)-6-(isopropylamino)-s-triazine], but resistant leaf sections showed no fluorescence increase. Substantial fluorescence increases of both resistant and susceptible leaf sections were induced by diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea]. In the absence of herbicides, fluorescence was higher in resistant than in susceptible leaf sections, suggesting that the resistant biotypes are less efficient photosynthetically. Fluorescence analysis was used to characterize atrazine inhibition of photosynthesis in leaf sections of three crop species. Differences in atrazine-induced fluorescence between crop lines were relatively small and were not well correlated with atrazine tolerance. The fluorometer is a convenient device for monitoring photosynthesis inhibition, however, and could be useful in detecting plants having resistance to photosynthesis-inhibiting herbicides.