Re: Bed preparation

There are two features of Roundup action that are interesting and bear upon how one who doesn't like chemicals in a garden can come to terms with using it. First, glyphosate's target is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of the aromatic amino acids, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan. Inhibiting this enzyme starves the plant for these amino acids and inhibits protein synthesis. Interestingly, animals (humans) don't synthesize these amino acids. They are some of the so called "essential amino acids" that must be supplied in the diet. So, since we don't have the target Roundup should not be highly toxic to animals and humans. I don't know if Roundup can inhibit secondary targets in very high doses. The second interesting feature of Roundup is that it has a very short half life in the soil. It is quickly degraded by soil microorganisms and in a week or two it should be gone.

Howard Zalkin
Lafayette, IN
zone 5

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