In the vicinity of copper foundry “Głogów” agricultural farms exist for 35 years. The aim of the work was to determine if biotypes of common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) growing for many years in heavy metals polluted environment showed any differences in the efficacy of herbicides’ control. Seeds of C. album were collected near Głogów, from four cultivated fields with different content of heavy metals in soil (mainly copper). From these seeds experimental plants were grown in greenhouse conditions. In greenhouse experiments the efficacy of control of C. album by different pyridate (6-chloro-3-phenylpyridazin-4-yl S-octyl thiocarbonate) doses also in combinations with 0.2% CuSO₄ was compared. Also the efficacy of pyridate in control of C. album seedlings which were grown in pots with soils collected from the vicinity of smelter was tested. Additionally, in growth chamber, the effect of increasing copper concentration on shoot and root growth was analyzed. Pyridate showed similar efficacy on tested populations of C. album without respect of soil contamination level, seeds’ origin and presence of copper ions in spray solution in which herbicide was used in full dose. Statistical differences were observed when herbicide was applied at ⅓ pyridate full dose, especially in the presence of Cu²⁺ ions in spray solution.

The level of free (PAs) and conjugated (CPAs) soluble polyamines in leaves ofChenopodium album was determined using the fluorometric method for dansy lated derivatives. The tests made at the 4-6 leaf growth stage showed that the concentration of PAs in susceptible (S) and resistant (R) biotypes ranged between 32-43 μg and 45-56 μg per 100 μl of cell sap, respectively. The analyses performed later, namely at the beginning of flowering showed that the difference in the level of polyamines between Sand R biotypes was greater. In this case the amount of PAs in biotype S ranged between 15-34 μg and in biotype R between 51-73 μg per 100 μl of cell sap. Therefore, the level of PAs cans act as an indicator for susceptibility or resistance of C. album biotypes to atrazine.

Content of total phenols in not treated plants of Chenopodium album biotype susceptible to atrazine was 40% higher compared to resistant one. Atrazine applied at 1 kg per hectare increased the amount of these compounds in both biotypes, especially as regards on the level of monophenols in susceptible biotype, which was 3 times higher than in untreated plants. Amount of monophenols in atrazine-resistant biotype increased slightly due to atrazine application. After application of atrazine the polyphenols/monophenols ratio decreased from 4.2 to 1.1 in susceptible biotype, while it was not much changed in resistant biotype. Atrazine increased the content of flavanols in S biotype eight-times compared with untreated plants, while in resistant one this phenomenon was not observed. IAA-oxidase activity measured in vitro was modified by leaf extracts from C. album and Echinochloa crus-galli. Than the extracts from triazine-treated resistant biotype were more capable of protecting the indoloacetic acid (IAA) against enzyme activity. It may suggest that the mechanism susceptibility or resistance to herbicide is not only involved with PS II complex, but consists also in formation in plant the systems which favour or protect the auxin degradation, respectively.