Comparative Toxicity of Bentazon and Molinate on Growth, Photosynthetic Pigments, Photosynthesis, and Respiration of the Portuguese Ricefield Cyanobacterium Nostoc muscorum.

The article focuses on a study which investigates the effects of toxicity of the herbicides bentazon and molinate on the growth of Nostoc muscorum, a cyanobacterium in Portuguese rice fields, under laboratory conditions during time- and concentration-dependent exposure for 72 hours. It reports that toxic concentrations at 0.75-2 millimeter (mM) of both herbicides have pleiotropic effects on the cyanobacterium. It says that molinate exhibits more toxicity to growth, chlorophyll-a, carotenoids, and phycobiliproteins contents. It mentions that the herbicides increased protein content and more pronounced with molinate concentrations at 1.5-2 mM. It notes that molinate increases carbohydrates content while bentazon decreases it. Inhibition of photosynthesis and respiration is also observed.