The Fate of Fatty Compounds and Surfactants Used as Sucker Control Agents on Field Tobacco

The fate of fatty compounds and surfactants used for tobacco sucker inhibition was studied with 14C-labelled materials applied to field-grown Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. Maryland Catterton plants. Residual materials recovered from test tobacco showed the following: [ 1 ] When lauric acid was used, the residual material was maintained essentially in the acid fraction. [2] When lauryI alcohol was used, a considerable part (9.7-24.8 %) was converted to the acid fraction, indicating possible oxidation of alcohol in the field; smaller amounts (7.4 to 14.8 %) were found in the ester fraction. [3] When methyl laurate was used, most (54-77 %) of the residue was recovered in the acid fraction, a small part (12.6 to 22.7 %) was found in the alcohol fraction, and the rest (10.3-23.3 %) remained in the ester fraction. [4] When Tween surfactants were used, nearly all the residual materials had been hydrolyzed to free polyol and fatty acids