Alachlor (ACh)

Alachlor is an herbicide from the chloroacetanilide family. Its mode of action is elongase inhibition, and inhibition of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) cyclisation enzymes, part of the gibberellin pathway. Degradation in soil appears to be largely biologically mediated, and produces a number of metabolites.The iron in such minerals can be used by certain soil bacteria as an electron acceptor when soils are flooded, thus the process of herbicide transformation by reduced clay is thought to be microbially mediated. Similar observations have been reported for the herbicides trifluralin and atrazine. Alachlor is often found in high school chemistry classrooms to be used as a reactant in demonstrations such as the combustion of magnesium. Alachlor can be used as a substitution for methane gas in such an experiment when gas is not available.