ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF HERBICIDE TOLERANT CROPS AND GLYPHOSATE-BASED HERBICIDES – A REVIEW
K. Velmourougane, D. Blaise, A. Manikandan, S. Savitha, V. N. Waghmare
Abstract
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum, non-selective, contact herbicide, dominating the global pesticide market and the most widely used agricultural chemicals worldwide, to manage pre-and postemergence weeds. Despite the fact that glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides are widely used, and claimed as a "once in a century herbicide", there remains extensive debate on the consequences of glyphosate usage and its impacts on soil, plant, and environmental health, apart from non-targeted vegetation. Though positive effects of glyphosate on agricultural food production, soil conservation and environmental pollution have been put forth by several workers, glyphosate and its negative impacts on the environment, especially its persistence in soils, the emergence of glyphosate-resistant weeds, and its integration into the existing cropping systems in agroecosystems remains a challenge. In this review, we provide updates on glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, and their impacts on the environment, which will be highly useful for researchers and decision-makers to establish policies for glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicide usage in agriculture.