ABSTRACT
Preliminary studies on the chemical control of alligator weed and water hyacinth with the phenoxy herbicides were made in 1950 under a research contract of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, and Tulane University. Since that time, phenoxy herbicides have been widely used for the control of water hyacinth in Florida, Louisiana, and other states of the Gulf Coast. It is common practice to apply the chloro-phenoxy herbicides to the foliage of plants. Foliar application involves certain external factors which determine the ability of the herbicide to give either good or poor penetration. In the alligator weed, it is difficult to obtain good absorption and herbicidal action with phenoxy-type herbicides after senescence begins because movement in the phloem is reduced. Chlorophenoxy herbicides undergo degradation within plants. Organic acids are degradation products of this metabolism. Accordingly, organic acids were studied for root and foliage absorption to observe possible synergistic effects.
