Glyphosate & Herbicide
Poisoning
Testing Capabilities & Factsheet
SESL Australia regularly hear from clients requesting investigations into plant poisonings. Whilst we can most definitely conduct an investigation for you, they are complex and may not always give a definitive result.
Our Laboratory Technicians and Scientists use symptomatic and chemical analysis to try and uncover a causative agent. Despite this, trees and other plants can be poisoned by an array of agents including oils, petrols and other chemicals, making screening and detection difficult. Additionally, compounds often breakdown quickly making the timeline of acquiring a detection slim.
To see specific pricing for Glyphosate detection in Soil, plant tissue or water, please refer to the downloadable factsheet below.
How it works
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum, non-selective systemic herbicide used for the control of most types of plants. Here in Australia it is most familiar under the trade names Roundup and Zero.
It is highly soluble in water and is quickly absorbed through plant tissues and through the plant to the growing points, where it blocks the synthesis of three critical amino acids. Without these critical amino acids, the plant cannot grow or conduct a number of essential biochemical processes.
Glyphosate works only when applied to the green parts of plants; the presence of bark blocks its absorption. It works only when plants are actively growing – typically during warmer weather.
Signs of poisoning
Within the first week after application, plants generally show no signs of anything, although growth stops immediately. Then within the second week, leaves start to yellow or bleach and distort.
By the end of the second week, plants are dead.
