A HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF GLYPHOSATE ON SEED DEVELOPMENT IN THE WILD OAT (AVENA-FATUA L)

Glyphosate was applied to panicles of wild oats (Avena fatua L.) before, at and after anthesis. The florets in spikelets exposed to the herbicide before, at and immediately after anthesis produced seeds with abnormal embryos and endosperm. Histological and embryological studies showed that in all cases the chemical did not stop the normal process of double fertilization in the florets. The zygote divided, but did not proceed beyond the proembryo stage. The development of both the proembryo and the endosperm was abnormal. The proembryos and the early stages of embryos showed no normal provascular or vascular tissue differentiation. Externally also there was no proper development of embryo parts, such as the scutellum, epiblast, shoot and root apices. The embryonic tissues showed considerable obliteration and shrinkage and the nuclei in cells appeared small and shrunken. The cells, especially in the meristem regions, appeared lacunose. The embryo and the endosperm in the caryopses treated with glyphosate 9 days after anthesis or later, were morphologically and structurally very similar to those of the controls of comparable age. It was concluded that the greater the delay of glyphosate application after anthesis, the less was the effect on seed development.