How are sulfonylureas used as herbicides?

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Sulfonylureas function as herbicides by inhibiting acetolactic synthase, which is a key enzyme in plants. By blocking this enzyme, these compounds effectively disrupt essential biological processes required for plant growth.1

It is important to distinguish these agricultural chemicals from the class of compounds sharing the same name that are used in medicine. While sulfonylureas are widely used as herbicides, the term also refers to a group of hypoglycemic compounds related to sulfonamides used in the oral treatment of diabetes.2