Evaluation of Seedling Progeny of Soybeans Treated with 2,4-D, 2,4-DB, and Dicamba

Abstract

Seed were harvested from soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr. ‘Cutler’] plants treated at flowering and pod filling with (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)butyric acid (2,4-DB), and 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba). Progeny of plants treated at flowering with 2,4-D and 2,4-DB or at pod filling with the lowest rate were normal. When higher rates were applied at pod filling, these phenoxy herbicides caused appreciable injury to the progeny in the form of reduced emergence and dry weight and malformed unifoliate leaves. Dicamba was much more injurious to the progeny of treated plants than 2,4-D and 2,4-DB. Even at low rates dicamba caused reduced germination, emergence, and dry weight and malformed first trifoliate leaves.