Herbicides and their toxicity to livestock

Abstract

Extract

In 1914, Bottomley of King's College, University of London, wrote of some experiments in which he incubated sphagnum peat with a mixed culture of aerobic soil organisms for a fortnight at 26°C. It was known that this “bacterized” peat, after sterilization, formed an excellent medium for the growth and distribution of nitrogen-fixing organisms. As the experiments progressed, it was evident that, in addition to the ordinary plant food constituents, a substance which stimulated plant growth in a remarkable manner was present in the “bacterized” peat. Bottomley gave the name “auximones” to growth-stimulating substances and unwittingly laid the foundations for the vast modern hormone weedkiller industry.