14C-labeled 4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(ethylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one (ethiozin)3was metabolized more rapidly in tolerant than in sensitive wheat,Triticum aestivumL., cultivars. After a 6-h herbicidal pulse, the main metabolites were conjugates at all incubation times up to 48 h. The levels of deaminated and dethioethylated metabolites never exceeded 4% of the extractable radioactivity and also did not differ between tolerant and sensitive plants. On the contrary, 92% of the extractable radioactivity was in conjugates after 24 h in the leaves of tolerant plants compared to 25% in the leaves of sensitive plants. The differently sensitive wheat cultivars conjugated metribuzin, 4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one, at about half the rate that was observed with ethiozin. This finding may explain the fact that most wheat cultivars are more sensitive to metribuzin compared with ethiozin.
