Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 10.1
Chemical plant growth regulators used in Southeast Asia
Percentage by
weight
Agent
Active component of agent
Blue
Sodium dimenthylarsinate
dimethylarsinic acid (cacodylic acid)
27.7
4.8
Orange
n-butyl 2,4-dichlororphenoxyacetate (2,4-D)
50
n-butyl 2,4,5-trichlororphenoxyacetate (2,4,5-T)
50
Purple
n-butyl 2,4-dichlororphenoxyacetate
50
n-butyl 2,4,5-trichlororphenoxyacetate
30
iso-butyl 2,4,5-trichlororphenoxyacetate
20
White
Triisopropanolammonium 2,4-
dichlorophenoxyacetate
Triisopropanolammonium 4-amino-3,5,6-
tricholoropicolinate (Picloram)
Source:
Modified from a table in SIPRI,
The Rise of CB Weapons
(Stockholm: Almqvist
& Wiksell, 1971), p. 172.
fort in the same year. The program, known as Project Ranch Hand, con-
ducted its first major operation utilizing three C-123 aircraft in Septem-
ber and October 1962. Crop destruction operations were also conducted
from the inception of the program.
Table 10.1 identifies the chemical plant growth regulators and their in-
tended targets. Codenames were subsequently assigned to these agents in
accordance with the colors of the identification stripes painted around
the barrels in which the agents were shipped.
The plant growth regulators in table 10.1 were sprayed with the inten-
tion of defoliating forest and mangrove in order to improve visibility and
enemy vulnerability, to reduce the likelihood of ambush around the pe-
rimeter of military bases, and to destroy food crops upon which enemy
forces were thought to rely.
Agent Purple, for use in the destruction of broad-leaved crops and for-
est and bush defoliation, and Agent Blue, for use in the destruction of rice
crops, were first used in Vietnam in 1961. Agent Orange, which had ef-
fects similar to those of Agent Purple, subsequently replaced it, and was
itself replaced by Agent White in 1966, when Agent Orange was tempo-
rarily unavailable.
38
It is reported that military forces disseminated defoliants and anticrop
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