ATRAZINE PHYTOTOXICITY TO COMMON BEAN AND REDROOT PIGWEED UNDER DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES

The basis for increased phytotoxicity of foliar-applied atrazine at high temperature in common bean and redroot pigweed was investigated. Plants were grown under low (15/10 C), medium (25/20 C), or high (35/30 C) temperature regimes. Atrazine absorption by plants grown under different temperatures increased with increasing temperatures in both species. Greater than 90% of absorbed atrazine remained in treated leaves and translocation was not altered by temperature in both species. Metabolism of atrazine by both hydroxylation and glutathione-conjugation was greater in plants grown at 35/30 than 15/10 C in both species. Foliar-applied atrazine reduced extractable photosystem II (PS II) activity as temperature increased in both species. Studies were also conducted on thylakoid membranes from plants not treated with atrazine. The 150 for atrazine inhibition of PS II decreased and affinity of atrazine binding to thylakoid membranes increased as temperature increased in both species. We concluded that the increased phytotoxicity of atrazine at high temperatures is caused by enhanced foliar absorption and greater affinity of atrazine for the binding site.