A potato field which has been treated with a defoliant, before harvest

A helicopter spraying Agent Orange, a defoliant, during the Vietnam War.

Barrels leaking agent Orange into the sea, at Johnston Atoll, about 1973

Defoliants are a type of chemical that destroys plants like trees, bushes and grass .

A very common defoliant is Agent Orange used by the US Airforce in the Vietnam War to destroy cover of the enemy. It killed the rainforest and caused birth defects as well as other illnesses among Vietnamese and US soldiers view more...