Rice constitutes the most dominant segment of food consumed by the people of India. In modern agriculture practice, it is cultivated by the assistance of agrochemicals called herbicides. The herbicides tend to eradicate the weed infestation in the paddy fields and are known to be the most efficient tool to obtain a high yield of crop. However, their excessive use in the agriculture fields initiates the occurrence of deleterious effects in paddy fields by inhibiting the activity of cyanobacteria, as they consist of several physiological characteristics of vascular plants, which form the site of herbicide action. The agrochemicals influence the activity of enzymes, photosynthetic process, and nitrogen-fixing ability of microbial cell. Percolation of the same to nearby water bodies tends to negatively affect the aquatic ecosystem. These chemicals bring about biochemical, pathological, physiological, and genetic manipulations in humans by accumulating in the food chain. This review attempts to impart an overall understanding on toxic effect of herbicides on various life forms with a noteworthy focus on paddy crops grown in the eastern belts of India.
Key words: Herbicides, 2, 4 D, Butachlor, Paraquat, Pretilachlor, Anilofos
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