In order to identify the factors providing the triazolopyrimidines with a wide range of selectivity amongst agriculturally important plant species, studies were made on the uptake and metabolism of a representative compound, N‐(2,6‐dichlorophenyl)‐5,7‐dimethyl‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐a]pyrimidine‐ 2‐sulfonamide. This compound is much more phytotoxic to dicots than to monocots. Experiments showed that variations in leaf morphologies and geometries relative to spray applications resulted in different herbicide dosages applied to plant species used in selectivity evaluations. However, this parameter did not have a statistically significant correlation to herbicide selectivity measurements. Characterization of the metabolic pathways showed that the major herbicide metabolites involved methyl hydroxylation or hydroxylation of the aniline ring followed by glucose conjugation. Since these metabolites were not exclusive to either monocots or dicots, herbicide selectivity does not appear dependent on the pathway of metabolism. Studies on the kinetics of metabolism suggest instead that metabolic rate was important. Monocots metabolized the herbicide rapidly and generally were tolerant while the opposite was true of dicots. Copyright © 1990 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
