The Uptake, Translocation and Metabolism of Simazine and Atrazine by Corn Plants

Extract

A number of the substituted symmetrical triazines have been shown to possess considerable herbicidal activity. Their high biological effectiveness against a wide spectrum of plants has aroused much interest in their use. While they have been found useful as soil sterilants, they are particularly valuable as selective herbicides on a number of crops. Two of the more promising triazines are simazine (2–chloro–4,6–bis(ethylamino)–s–triazine) and atrazine (2–chloro–4–ethylamino–6–isopropylamino–s–triazine). Both of these compounds have found extensive use in the control of weeds in corn. For this reason, it was of interest to determine the absorption, translocation and metabolism of these compounds by corn plants. The studies of this nature reported here were undertaken using C¹⁴ ring-labeled triazines. The labeling of the triazine was accomplished using C¹⁴ tagged cyanogen chloride in the synthesis, thus giving a random labeled ring.