Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine; 1071-83-6) is the
active ingredient in several commercial herbicides for nonselective
weed control. Glyphosate herbicides are among the
world’s most widely used herbicides. Roundup, containing
the active ingredient glyphosate, was developed and introduced
by Monsanto Company in 1974. Other formulations include
WeatherMax, UltraMAX, Buccaneer, Razor Pro, Rodeo, and
AquaMaster. Some crops such as soybeans and cotton have
been genetically engineered to be resistant to glyphosate
(Roundup Ready), allowing farmers to use glyphosate as
a postemergence herbicide. The United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) considers glyphosate to be relatively
low in toxicity compared to organochlorine and organophosphate
pesticides.
