ABSTRACT
The practical application of amino acid biosynthesis infonnation on world food production may be somewhat difficult to quantitate. However. one area in which this is not true is for weed control. Controlling weeds in crops has occupied much of mankind's time and efforts since the beginning of agriculture. Until the late 1940s, weed control was achieved through mechanical, cultura1, and biological means, with mechanical means predominant. The discovery of the auxenic herbicides that could selectively control broadleaf weeds in wheat. barley, com, and other grassy crops led to a revolution in weed management. Currently over 90% of the major crops, including maize, soybeans, and cotton, in the United States are treated with an herbicide (Anonymous 1996). These herbicides interfere with vital plant processes, such as photosynthesis, lipid biosynthesis, and microtubule polymerization. However, since the late 19705, herbicides that interfere with amino acid biosynthesis have come to play a major role in weed management programs.
