What is the definition of tolerance in plants?

Tolerance in plants refers to their inherent ability to survive after exposure to herbicide treatment. This concept is crucial in understanding how certain plants can withstand applications of herbicides that are designed to control or eliminate unwanted vegetation. When a plant exhibits tolerance, it means that despite being exposed to a chemical that would typically harm or kill it, it is able to continue growing and thriving. This can occur due to various physiological and biochemical adaptations that reduce the herbicide's effectiveness or enable the plant to detoxify or compartmentalize the harmful compounds.

While the ability to reproduce quickly after herbicide exposure is important for some plants, it does not define tolerance. Similarly, the degree of injury a plant can withstand is more about resilience than the ability to survive herbicide treatment itself. Changes in growth patterns due to herbicides may occur in some cases, but that does not capture the essence of what tolerance means in the context of herbicides and plant responses. Thus, the best definition of tolerance is indeed the inherent ability of a plant to survive after herbicide treatment.