Reduction of shoot growth, leaf epinasty and chlorosis in young tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Hellfrucht/Frühstamm) treated hydroponically with 10^-7 M of the herbicide quinclorac were partially compensated when the plants were simultaneously sprayed with salicyclic acid or the oxime ether derivative PACME. Since salicyclic acid and PACME are known inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis, it is suggested that this pathway is implicated in quinclorac action. Further support for this hypothesis was obtained in experiments with transgenic tomato plants containing an antisense gene to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase in ethylene biosynthesis. When quinclorac was applied via the root antisense plants showed reduced phenotypical alterations compared to those of wild-type plants.