This technology is a herbicide detection kit consisting of dormant buds isolated from duckweed fronds, culture vessels, paraquat-containing herbicide samples, and a culture medium for the buds. It determines the presence and residual amount of paraquat by measuring the length of the roots that emerge as the buds germinate.
Verifying organic produce requires checking for herbicide contamination and its concentration. However, instrumental analysis methods like GC-MS or ICP-MS require expensive equipment and skilled personnel, and each substance must be analyzed separately. Bioassays using indicator species like water fleas or fish also have limitations, such as long processing times and low sensitivity.
This technology allows for herbicide reaction verification within approximately three days simply by germinating refrigerated dormant buds in a well plate or test tube. It is highly sensitive to paraquat, enabling the detection of even trace contamination. It can be applied to organic certification testing, on-site screening of pesticide residues in produce, and self-testing by farmers, allowing for the rapid identification of contaminated crops before shipment without the need for expensive analytical equipment.
This invention was developed through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's project for the development of standard technologies for aquatic ecological risk bio-diagnosis and support for international certification.
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