Chlomethoxyfen [5‐(2, 4‐dichlorophenoxy)‐2‐nitroanisole] has been widely used as a pre‐emergence herbicide in rice in Japan, where it is known as chlomethoxynil. It is effective against many annual weeds and some perennials, including Eleocharis acicularis and Sagittaria pygmaea. The activity of chlomethoxyfen is only slightly affected by water movement because of its low water‐solubility. It is more toxic to shoots than roots and is rapidly absorbed by roots, with limited translocation to upper parts of the plants. The demethylated derivative, which was presumed to be conjugated with plant materials, was identified as the major metabolite in plants. Several other metabolites were also detected in soils and animals. Chlomethoxyfen increases phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase activity in plants under light conditions, resulting in the accumulation of the biphenyl‐2‐ol content. The biochemical basis of the light requirement of diphenyl ether herbicides is also discussed.
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