Residue Levels of Fatty Compounds and Surfactants as Suckering Agents on Tobacco

Abstract

Fatty compounds including lauryI alcohol and methyl laurate and Tween 20 surfactant (polyoxyethylene [20] sorbitan monolaurate) and Tween 80 surfactant (polyoxyethylene [20] sorbitan monooleate) with 14C-labelling at various positions were used as suckering agents for Maryland, Burley, and bright tobacco types (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and their residues on the tobacco determined. An average residue of 1.61 ppm of fatty compounds and 1.0 ppm of surfactants were found. The combined totaI of 2.6 ppm residue due to these suckering agents is far below an earlier preliminary test of 4.8 ppm of residue in comparison with 7.000 ppm naturally occurring fatty compounds in tobacco.

Surfactant Residues in Maryland Tobacco Treated with a Fatty-Alcohol-Type Sucker-Control Formulation

“…Besides containing these mixed-function derivatives, the surfactants also contain free polyoxyethylene. Previous studies (7) with Tween 80-14 C-1-fatty acid and 14 C-U**-ethylene oxide applied to various classes of field-grown tobacco have shown that calculated residue levels ranged from about 0.41 to 1.45 ppm. These levels may reflect the residues of either the mixed-function derivatives or the free polyoxyethylene, depending on whether the label was on the fatty-acid moiety or on ethylene oxide.…”

Applied Uses of Growth Substances — Growth Inhibitors

“…The fatty acid derivatives are not translocated, and their action is probably by localized destruction of cell membranes and tissue kill. Fatty acid residues on tobacco were not detected 26 days after treatment in one study (69) and were found only at about 1 ppm in another (70).…”