Article 13886 of rec.gardens:
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From: gilchr@ee.ualberta.ca (Andrew Gilchrist)
Subject: RoundUp (tm)
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References: <1993Feb15.184349.28342@pslu1.psl.wisc.edu> <C2M3A9.557@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> <1993Feb18.081659.29789@sol.ctr.columbia.edu> <1993Feb18.123231.23386@cs.rochester.edu>
Date: Mon, 22 Feb 1993 08:15:41 GMT
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dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz) writes:

>This is confused.  Roundup (glyphosate) blocks an enzyme that appears
>only in plants.  It has low toxicity for animals, and has not
>been shown to be carcinogenic or mutagenic.  Moreover, it is not
>persistent; it is inactivated in soil in a short time, by binding
>to clay and bacterial breakdown.  One can plant in Roundup-treated
>soil without waiting a year.  It is used as a pre-planting
>herbicide in agriculture.

>	Paul

This is exactly correct.  Roundup is a post-emergent herbicide.  It soaks
into the plant through the leaves (or needles) and inhibits the
some rather important bio-chemical processes.  It is non-selective, and will
kill any plant.  It is least effective on plants with waxy leaves (or
needles) only because of the wetting agents used.  The leaf coating
reduces absorption of the glyphosphate.  If you up the concentration,
the plant will die.

It binds with the soil and becomes inert.

You can plant in roundup areas immediately.


Incidentally, the patent for glyphosphate has recently expired, and several
clone products have appeared. CIL Clear-It-2 is glyphosphate based
as well. (CIL is now owned by ICI)

-Andrew


