Quick Facts
- Related Topics:
- Herbicide
- Agent Orange
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
U.S. wartime use of defoliant in Vietnam
A U.S. helicopter spraying defoliant over a dense jungle during the Vietnam War, 1969.
Defoliant
chemistry
Defoliant, a chemical dust or spray applied to plants to cause their leaves to drop off prematurely. Defoliants sometimes are applied to crop plants such as cotton in order to facilitate harvesting. They are also used in warfare to eliminate enemy food crops and potential areas of concealment by enemy forces. Defoliants were employed for these purposes by South Vietnamese and U.S. forces in the Vietnam War; among the more controversial of these substances was the chemical compound known as Agent Orange (q.v.).
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Discover how ordinary objects work, and expand your understanding of the familiar.
" height="20" alt="HEW Logo">
By clicking "Sign Up", you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.