Effects of Herbicides on Azolla Pinnata Growth and Photosynthesis, 2019 Laboratory Data

Laboratory experiments from 2019 measured the chronic effects of seven herbicides on the aquatic fern Azolla pinnata. Data includes growth rates from surface area and biomass, and photosynthetic efficiency measured as effective quantum yield. The project was part of NESP TWQ 3.1.5 and conducted by AIMS and JCU to improve risk assessment for the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

Use Cases

• Modeling dose-response relationships for herbicides based on growth rate and photosynthetic efficiency endpoints.
• Comparing toxicity of Photosystem II (PSII) and alternative herbicide classes on aquatic macrophytes.
• Calibrating ecotoxicology risk assessment frameworks for regulatory purposes using standardized 14-day bioassays.

Strengths

• Experiments tested seven specific herbicides (diuron, fluometuron, fluroxypyr, haloxyfop-p-methyl, imazapic, isoxaflutole, triclopyr) detected in the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
• Protocols included control and solvent control treatments to validate test results.
• Measurements combine growth metrics (surface area, biomass) with physiological data (effective quantum yield via PAM fluorometry).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data reflects controlled laboratory conditions from 2019; field applicability may require further validation.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, associated with AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science) and JCU (James Cook University).

Collection Method

Standardized 14-day laboratory bioassays on Azolla pinnata cultures exposed to herbicide concentrations, with solutions replaced at Day 7.

Time Range

2019

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-14 06:42:57.100674; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Herbicide selection based on detection in coastal waters of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia; organisms sourced from NSW, Australia.