Studies on Responses of Non-target Plants to Pesticides: a Review

Plant species that are unintentionally exposed to pesticides are treated as non-target plants Non-target plant effects are any direct or indirect effects that cause significant change in the survival, health or reproduction of non-target plant species or cause a change in plant community attributes. This review presents responses of several non-target plants to pesticide contamination. Non-target plants may have either one or a combination of responses to detoxify a pesticide. Development of detoxification mechanism depends on three factors: (1) concentration and type of pesticide present, (2) environmental conditions, and (3) plant characteristics. Comparison of metabolic pathways, detoxification mechanisms, and tolerance of various plants to pesticides may help us design vegetative treatment systems to decontaminate soil and water contaminated with pesticides.