Modern agriculture needs high crop productivity in order to cope with the increasing food demand, and this in order to meet the necessities of the growing world population (Del Buono et al., 2016). In cultivated fields, weeds compete with crops for nutrients and other resources (Gaba et al., 2017). In order to manage this situation, herbicides are used worldwide for crop protection against weeds (Mimmo et al., 2015). However, the massive use of these chemicals can cause resistance in weeds and affect the environment (Gaba et al., 2017). In particular, they can impact on non-target organisms and bring about hazards to human and animal health (Boily et al., 2013; van der Meulen and Singh Chauhan, 2017). Some of these chemicals can also accumulate and persist in soils (Arias-Estevez et al., 2008; Magne et al., 2006 ), and thus could represent a risk for crops in the following cultural cycle (Del Buono et al., 2015). Despite their selectivity in targeting weeds, some herbicides can be phytotoxic to crop species at morphological, physiological and biological levels (Vercampt et al., 2017). Recently, some authors found significant interferences of herbicides on plant mineral nutrition. For example, glyphosate was shown to be able to reduce the uptake of certain micronutrients in soybeans (Zobiole et al., 2010) and sunflower (Eker et al., 2006). In particular, some of these studies showed reductions on iron (Fe) assimilation and distribution in various crop species (Bartucca et al., 2017; Bellaloui et al., 2009; Del Buono et al., 2015; Eker et al., 2006; Ozturk et al., 2008). In general, interferences on the capacity of plants to acquire Fe can result in Fe-chlorosis. This disorder is characterised by interveinal to complete yellowing and browning of leaves which could, in extreme situations, lead to plant death (Singh and Dayal, 1992). Fe has a fundamental role in photosynthesis, DNA and chlorophyll biosynthesis, mitochondrial respiration and nitrogen fixation (Nagajyoti et al., 2010). This element is also a key constituent of many important proteins such as ferredoxin, catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase (Nagajyoti et al., 2010). Therefore Fe is a limiting factor for plant biomass production and quality (Briat et al., 2015).