Determination of plant resistance to carbamate herbicidal compounds inhibiting cell division and early growth by seed and plantlets bioassays.

Herbicide-resistant plants can be generated by either traditional breeding procedures or genetic engineering. Analyses of plant responses to a newly developed herbicide or the tolerance level of a newly developed plant line to a given herbicide are based on various bioassays. Here, we describe several methods for quantitative measurements of plants' responses to propham application, as a model herbicide of the carbamate family. Dose-response assays include seed germination and analyses of shoot and root elongation on paper. To better reflect the natural interaction between the plant, the soil and the herbicide, a protocol for germination and root elongation on sand is described. Finally, a more sensitive bioassay is based on plant growth on agar medium. The described protocols are simple, reproducible and can be easily adopted for a variety of plant species and for various herbicides. Plants' response to a given herbicide can be determined within a few weeks.