Glyphosate is the main nonselective, systemic herbicide
used against a wide range of weeds. Its worldwide use
has expanded because of extensive use of certain agricultural
practices such as no-till cropping, and widespread
application of glyphosate-resistant genetically
modified crops. Glyphosate has a reputation of being
nontoxic to animals and rapidly inactivated in soils.
However, recent evidence has cast doubts on its safety.
Glyphosate may be retained and transported in soils,
and there may be cascading effects on nontarget organisms.
These processes may be especially detrimental in
northern ecosystems because they are characterized by
long biologically inactive winters and short growing
seasons. In this opinion article, we discuss the potential
ecological, environmental and agricultural risks of intensive
glyphosate use in boreal regions