Herbicide Modes of Action “Amino Acid Synthesis Inhibitors”

There are lots of herbicides available for controlling almost every kind of weed there is but knowing which one to use can be difficult.  Let me try to unscramble some of the confusing words we use all the time by talking in this newsletter about how herbicides work commonly known as “mode of action.”.
First we have at least 27 different modes of action (MOA) in herbicides.  What this means is that the herbicide chemical will go to a particular part or site of the plant and work to disrupt that process in the plant.  For instance, Plateau is a type of amino acid synthesis inhibitor.  It prevents the synthesis or formation of one or more amino acids in the plant.  These amino acids are essential to the plant for growth because they are the food for the plant.  So when you use an amino acid synthesis inhibitor the plant begins to starve to death.  This is the reason the “Plateau” or “Outrider,” has the reputation of working slow.
What else is in this family of herbicides?  You may recognize some of the common names of these imidizonaline herbicides like Cadre, Plateau, Pursuit.  Or maybe these in the sulfonylurea (SU) herbicides like Cimarron Plus, Glean, Ally, Amber, Permit, Sandea or Outrider.  All these are in the family of amino acid synthesis inhibitors and have the same mode of action.