ABSTRACT
Plants synthesize numerous chemicals in a natural environment. These naturally oc curring compounds exhibit plant growth regulating and herbicidal properties on other plants. Most of these phytochemicals are easily and rapidly degraded or detoxified in the environment. Study of these compounds may lead to the discovery of new classes of herbicides that affect sites of action different from those exhibited by currently used herbicides. As the traditional methods of searching for new herbicides are yielding diminishing returns, natural plant compounds offer a viable tool to discover herbicides w i t h newer chemistries and phytotoxic properties. I n fact, many herbicide companies have begun or strengthened research in this direction w i t h this end in mind .
