Screening for cytotoxic and genotoxic effects on selected plants from sites routinely maintained by herbicide application in the Ile-Ife Municipality

Abstract

The use of herbicides in non-agricultural or urban amenity areas may lead to different environmental issues relating to human safety, integrity of the environment and associated collateral effects which do not arise when they are used in agriculture. This study therefore seeks to determine the genotoxicity and cytotoxicity effects on the long-surviving plants identified in Ile-Ife municipality where herbicides are used routinely for weed control. Pollen grain size distribution, fertility and cytological examination were carried out on accessions of Talinum
triangulare and Paspalum conjugatum which were the dominant and long-surviving plant populations of the study sites. The pattern of pairing, segregation of chromosomes to the poles and the morphology of the meiocytes and related cells were investigated. The pollen grains of the plants studied showed regularity in size, shape and high stainability. The distribution of pollen grain sizes was unimodal in all the plants monitored. They are able to survive herbicide application without manifesting cytotoxic and genotoxic effects. The results of this study showed that plants that are long-living survived as a result of the nature of their perennating organs.

Keywords: Herbicide application, cytotoxic effect, genotoxic effect, Talinum triangulare, Paspalum conjugatum