Mode of action and development of glyphosate

Glyphosate is a kind of organic phosphine herbicide with ebroad spectrum exterminating. Glyphosate mainly takes effects by blocking the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acid, namely the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine via shikimic acid pathway. It has inhibitory effect on the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP synthase), which can catalyze the conversion between shikimate-3-phosphate and 5-enolpyruvate phosphate into 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate (EPSP), so glyphosate interfere with this biosynthesis of enzymatic reactions, resulting shikimic acid accumulation in vivo. In addition, the glyphosate can also suppress other kinds of plant enzymes and the animal enzyme activity. The metabolism of glyphosate in higher plants is very slow and it has been tested that its metabolite is aminomethylphosphonic acid and methyl amino acetic acid. Because of the high working performance, slow degradation, as well as high plant toxicity of glyphosate in plants body, the glyphosate is regarded as a kind of ideal controlling perennial weeds herbicides.Glyphosate has been widely used because of its advantages of strong non-selectivity and good weeding effect, especially with the large area of cultivation of glyphosate-tolerant transgenic crops, it has become the world’s most used herbicide.

According to the PMRA assessment, glyphosate has no genotoxicity and is less likely to cause cancer risk in humans. No risk to human health is expected through dietary exposure assessments (food and water) associated with glyphosate use; Follow the label instructions, and there is no need to worry about the type of occupation using glyphosate or the risk to residents. No risk to the environment is expected when used in accordance with the revised label, but a spray buffer is required to reduce the potential risk of spraying to non-target species (vegetation, aquatic invertebrates and fish in the vicinity of the application area).

It is estimated that the global use of glyphosate will be 600,000 ~ 750,000 t in 2020, and it is expected to be 740,000 ~ 920,000 t in 2025, showing a rapid increase.So glyphosate will remain the dominant herbicide for a long time.