Vol. 15—1961 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

THE EFFECTS OF ADDED PENETRANT AIDS AND , ETTING AGENTS
ON THE RESPONSE OF QUACKGRASS
(!~gropYron repens (L. ) Beauv, ) TO DALAPON
by
J. K. Leasure
1
INTRODUCTION
Since its introduction in 1953, 2, 2-dichloropropionic acid (dalapon)
has been of considerable interest because of its practical selectivity with
grasses. In addition to many field trials, a large number of more detailed
exper-iments have been conducted in attempts to determine its sites of
action in plants, the method by which it is translocated in plants, and its
ultimate fate in both plant t'issue and soil. A number of experiments have
been conducted with and without wetting agents. The present study was under­
. taken to determine the effect of some surface active agents on the translocation
of sodium dalapon into the rhizomes of quackgrass(AgroPlron repen!
(L. ) Beauv.}, as part of a continuing progress to improve the effectiveness
. of dala pon form ulations.
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
There is ample evidence in the literature ,that spray additives which
have surface-acti.ve char~ctar~tilf}. c~~\increase the effectiveness of a
number of herbiCldes(2, , , , , ';
It has been pointed out(4) that differences may exist in the effectiveness
of herbicide formulations even with equal wetting, and that considerable
care in the selection ofa wetting agent is required.
Daniels(3) refers to a relationship existing between the ionic character
and the relative polarity of a compound which suggests that the addition
of suitable surfactants to a strongly ionic, hydrophylic, polar compound
such as sodium 2, 2-dichloropropionate (sodium dalapon) might very well
cause such a formulation to become more compatible with non-polar materials
such as those fOlmd in. the cuticle of plants.
-- IThe Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan.