Absorption and Dissipation of TCA by Wheat and Oats

Abstract

In the greenhouse, five crops were grown in soil containing trichloroacetic acid (TCA) at 3 to 24 ppm. Based on seedling yields, corn (Zea mays L., var. Morden 88) and oats (Avena sativa L., var. Rodney) were relatively tolerant to TCA at all rates, barley (Hordeum vulgare L., var. Conquest) and rye (Secale cereale L., var. Antelope) were tolerant at lower rates, but wheat (Triticum aestivum L., var. Manitou) suffered injury at all rates. When TCA-2-14C was applied to the roots of wheat and oats seedlings in water or nutrient solution, wheat seedlings absorbed more TCA-2-14C than oats. Potassium cyanide (KCN) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) decreased TCA-2-14C absorption by wheat more than that by oats. From 5 to 21 days after application, wheat retained two to four times as much TCA-2-14C as oats. Thus, half of the TCA-2-14C in shoots and roots of wheat disappeared in 11.3 and 11.4 days, respectively, compared with 7.9 and 3.5 days for oats. Based on this investigation, the difference in susceptibility of wheat and oats to TCA appeared to be governed by the metabolic processes involved in absorption and dissipation.