MONITORING OF HERBICIDE (BUTACHLOR) TOXICITY USING POLLEN AS INDICATORD.R. ASHA, N. RAJASHEKAR AND SHOBHA JAGANNATHAbstract Potentiality of pollen germinability and tube growth of selected three taxa viz. Catharanthus roseus Linn, Datura fastuosa Linn. and Cassia occidentalis Linn. were studied under varied concentration of Butachlor viz. 0.25pg/mL, 0.50pg/mL, 0.75pg/mL, and 1.0pg/mL. Pollen of selected weed species showed maximum germination in Brewbaker and Kwack's medium devoid of butachlor with optimum sucrose, while pollen germination-in supplemented butachlor medium showed decline in their germinablility with increase in their concentration. However, pollens of three selected taxa showed no sign of germination (incubated up to 12 hours) at 1.0pg/mL. D. fastuosa is found to be more sensitive to butachlor. The order of sensitivity of three taxa to butachlor is D. fastuosa > C. occidentalis > C. roseus. Butachlor also suppressed the growth of pollen tube in all the weed species throughout the experiment. The tips of pollen tube exhibited bulging and early bursting nature in the treated pollen of C. roseus, D. fastuosa when compared to the control_ The pollen of C. occidentalis was found to be resistant exhibiting zigzag nature of growth. The frequency of bulging and early bursting increased, with increasing concentration of butachlor. From our study, it is clear that butachlor is toxic to pollen germination and its tube growth.
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