students studied effects of contaminants on plants
Roundup, urban runoff, and pesticides are bad for plants. Who knew?! Native crops begging for help. #Justsayno
By Alexus Brown, Rob Lodes, Sarah Rubock, and Veronica Winter
Does Roundup affect more than just weeds? Do pesticides only harm pests? Recent research into the effect of these chemicals on native sunflowers and pumpkins shows this may not be the case. In Andre, Jennie, Tiffani, and Michelle’s research, Roundup not only stunted the growth of both of these plants but also prevented sunflower roots from establishing and, in some cases, fried the root ends. A common pesticide had similar effects, though sunflowers showed more growth when exposed to urban runoff, possibly due to fertilizer contamination.
With chemical use becoming the hot trend in today’s agricultural world, questions like these are more relevant than ever. While we may not yet know all the answers, quality research like this will help us sort it out.
