Effect of temperature on the herbicidal activity and translocation of arsenicals.

ARSENIC-CONTAINING compounds have been widely used in the field LA. of weed control. Sodium arsenite has been employed for general contact weed control, and as a herbicide on turf areas. In the latter capacity it is used to control undesirable species without inflicting severe or permanent injury to desirable turf grasses. Disodium methylarsonate (DMA) and dimethylarsinic acid (cacodylic acid) have more recently been shown to possess herbicidal properties. DMA has been used for the selective control of crabgrass in turf, and for removal of certain weedy species from Bermudagrass. Cacodylic acid has shown promise for the complete removal of established sod for the purpose of renovation.4 It seems to be particularly well suited for this purpose in that it apparently leaves no residues that will interfere with the subsequent establishment of the seedlings.