Studies on a new herbicidal antibiotic, homoalanosine

Homoalanosine having a herbicidal activity was isolated from the culture filtrate of a soil isolate SC-1688 which was classified as Streptomyces galilaeus. The chemical structure of homoalanosine was determined to be L-2-amino-4-nitrosohydroxyaminobutyric acid by analyses of spectral and biological data. The antibiotic has high herbicidal activity at low concentrations against especially common cocklebur and ladysthumb among the tested weeds and crops. Foliar application of this antibiotic inhibited the growth of roots and buds. This result indicated that homoalanosine had a systemic herbicidal activity.