Transient effect of the herbicide flazasulfuron on carbohydrate physiology in Vitis vinifera L. Christian Magne ´ a , Gae ¨lle Saladin b , Christophe Cle ´ment b, * a LEBHAM, UPRES EA 3877, Institut Universitaire Europe ´en de la Mer, Universite ´ de Bretagne Occidentale, Technopo ˆ le Brest Iroise, 29280 Plouzane ´, France b Laboratoire de Stress, De ´fenses et Reproduction des Plantes, UPRES EA 2069, (URVVC) Universite ´ de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, UFR Sciences, Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, 51687 Reims Cedex 2, France Received 4 January 2005; received in revised form 25 April 2005; accepted 29 April 2005 Available online 28 June 2005 Abstract In the Champagne vineyard, most of the areas treated in early 2000 with the newly approved herbicide flazasulfuron had vines with altered growth and yellow leaves throughout the growing season. In order to clarify the physiological perturbations caused on the non-target grapevine and their potential consequences, C nutrition of grape plants grown in vineyards treated or not with flazasulfuron in 2000 was characterized during the following season. Vines from treated areas exhibited yellow leaves and an alteration of photosynthetic activity, characterized by declines in leaf gas exchanges (by 85%) and photosynthetic pigment concentrations (by 88%), and a marked disorganization of the leaf plastids. The herbicide also caused a decrease in leaf starch and soluble carbohydrate levels (À74% and À90%, respec- tively). Surprisingly, some vines re-greened after bloom, then exhibiting similar carbohydrate physiology to those grown in a non-treated area. Thus, recovery of CO 2 fixation rates, plastid ultra-structure, pigment concentrations and carbo- hydrate levels was found in re-greening leaves. Unlike the informations available in the literature, our results showed that flazasulfuron may be phytotoxic for grapevine. However, this toxicity was overcome the following year, indicating that vines have the potential to recover from this herbicide stress after one season. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Carbohydrates; Flazasulfuron; Grapevine; Herbicide; Photosynthesis 1. Introduction Herbicides are widely used in agriculture to control weeds. However, the massive introduction of these mol- ecules in the fields can generate long-term residues in food and the environment, leading to an increasing concern by consumers. Aside from their impact on the environment and food quality, some herbicides may also have consequences on crop development. Thus, a number of side effects including growth inhibition or delayed development, yield reduction, germination 0045-6535/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.04.119 Abbreviations: CF, control vines at fruit set; FF, flazasulfu- ron-treated vines at fruit set; CP, control vines at pea berry size; FPY, yellow leaves of flazasulfuron-treated vines at pea berry size; FPR, re-greening leaves of flazsulfuron-treated vines at pea berry size. * Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +33 3 2691 3339. E-mail address: christophe.clement@univ-reims.fr (C. Cle ´m- ent). Chemosphere 62 (2006) 650–657 www.elsevier.com/locate/chemosphere