Sweet dicamba: a carbohydrate pro-herbicide strategy.

Abstract

Dicamba, although a potent and useful herbicide in weed management, is notorious for its off-target movement due to volatility. Here, we describe carbohydrate esters of dicamba as an unexplored pro-herbicide approach that addresses the volatility of dicamba, while maintaining its herbicidal qualities. Varying the carbohydrate and dicamba attachment point led to changes in potency and hydrolysis, potentially allowing for reactivity tuning of molecules for future weed management practices.