ABSTRACT
Good safeners should protect crops fully from herbicide injury, be compatible with other applied pesticides and fertilizers, leave no residues in plants and soils, and have no adverse effects on the safened crop and the surroundings. This chapter reviews research on the iatrogenic role of safeners in crops. Phytotoxic effects of safeners on seed viability, plant growth, respiration, photosynthesis, and nucleic acid, protein, lipid, lignin, and anthocyanin synthesis have been documented. Another adverse effect is safener-host plant-pathogen interaction, which has scarcely been investigated to date. The variety of chemical compounds used as crop safeners is limited compared to the variety of other pesticides. Chemical agents can initiate iatrogenic disease by inducing changes in plant structure. The interaction of safener-host-pathogen was elucidated by Szerszen. Iatrogenic action of oxabetrinil can be counteracted by a combined seed dressing that includes the safener and the systemic fungicide metalaxyl.
