The degradation of the herbicide benzoylprop ethyl on the foliage of cereal seedlings

The breakdown of the herbicide benzoylprop ethyl [SUFFIX, ethyl N-benzoyl-N-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-2-aminopropionate] has been examined in wheat, oat, and barley seedlings after application of ¹⁴C-labeled herbicide to the foliage.Within 15 days of the application the route and rate of the breakdown were similar in the plants of all three species. Some of the herbicide was present in the plants in a complexed form which could be extracted from the plant with organic solvents and converted back into the herbicide on treatment with hot acid. Evidence was obtained for hydrolysis of the herbicide in the plant to give its des-ethyl analog which conjugated with plant sugars. There was some evidence for a small degree of degradation of benzoylprop ethyl by debenzoylation to give products which also conjugated or complexed.There was no evidence for the formation of 3,4-dichloroaniline in the plants.