ABSTRACT
Herbicides absorbed by the plant undergo structural and chemical modifications to form innocuous or less phytotoxic substances. These metabolic transformations, which include degradation and detoxification, occur both in tolerant and susceptible plant species, but in the tolerant species they take place at a rate much faster than herbicide accumulation and before the chemical can disrupt the plant metabolic processes. In susceptible plant species, the herbicide undergoes transformations in small amounts and more slowly. Some herbicides undergo metabolic transformations that may result in increased phytotoxicity. Thus, this Chapter covers the mechanisms related to both detoxification and activation of herbicides.
