Degradation of the pyrethroid insecticide WL 41706, (±)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl 2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropanecarboxylate,in soils

The degradation of the insecticide WL 41706, (±)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl 2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropanecarboxylate, (I), in two soils from Spain and one from the UK has been studied in the laboratory. Samples of (I) labelled separately with ¹⁴C in the benzyl ring (uniform labelling) and at C₍₁₎ of the cyclopropyl ring were used. The insecticide underwent degradation by hydrolysis at the cyano group to form the amide and carboxylic acid analogues. However, the major degradative route was hydrolysis at the ester linkage leading initially to the formation of 3-phenoxy-benzoic acid and 2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid. When a sandy clay soil was treated with [benzyl^?14C]-WL 41706 under balance conditions, ¹⁴CO₂ was evolved at a steady rate and 16 % of the applied radiolabel was detected as ¹⁴CO₂ over a 26 week period. The rate of degradation of I was most rapid on a moist sandy clay (loss of 50 % initial quantity in 4 weeks) but it was considerably slower on dry sandy clay and moist clay soils (> 16 weeks). Under flooded, anaerobic conditions the rate of hydrolysis of the insecticide was slower than under aerobic conditions and the 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and 2,2,3,3-tetramethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid were found to accumulate over the 24 weeks of the experiment.     

Degradation of the pyrethroid cypermethrin NRDC 149 (±)-α-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl (±)-cis,trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate and the respective cis-(NRDC 160) and trans- (NRDC 159) isomers in soils

The degradation of the pyrethroid insecticide cypermethrin and the geometric isomers NRDC 160 (cis-) and NRDC 159 (trans-) in three soils has been studied under laboratory conditions. Samples of the insecticides labelled separately with ¹⁴C in the cyclopropyl and benzyl rings were used. The rate of degradation was most rapid on sandy clay and sandy loam soils, 50% of the NRDC 160 and NRDC 159 applied to both soils being decomposed in 4 weeks and 2 weeks respectively. The major degradative route in all soils was hydrolysis of the ester linkage leading to the formation of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid and 3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid; soil treated with the cis-isomer (NRDC 160) was found to contain both cis- and trans-isomer forms of the cyclopropanecarboxylic acid. Further degradation of these carboxylic acids was evident since ¹⁴CO₂ was released from cyclopropyl- and benzyllabelled cypermethrin in amounts equivalent to 24 and 38% of the applied radioactivity over a 22 week period. A minor degradative route was ring-hydroxylation of the insecticide to give an α-cyano-3-(4-hydroxyphenoxy)benzyl ester followed by hydrolysis of the ester bond. Under waterlogged conditions the rate of hydrolysis of cypermethrin on sandy loam soil was slower than under aerobic conditions and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid accumulated in the anaerobic soil.     

Degradation of ioxynil to CO2 in soil

Degradation of ioxynil (4-hydroxy-3,5-diiodobenzonitrile) to CO₂ was detected in a clay loam, high organic matter content soil. The majority of radioactivity was recovered as ¹⁴CO₂ from both ring-labeled and cyano-labeled ioxynil; however, ¹⁴CO₂ was always released from cyano-labeled ioxynil at a much faster initial rate. No ¹⁴CO₂ was released in treated sterile soil, either aerobically or anaerobically. Production of ¹⁴CO₂ from cyanolabeled and ring-labeled ioxynil was greatly inhibited by HgCl₂ (10^?5M), and p-chloromercuribenzoate (5 × 10^?5M), but slightly inhibited by ferricyanide (10^?4M). No ¹⁴CO₂ was evolved from ring-labeled ioxynil under anaerobic conditions. These observations indicated that the degradation of ioxynil to CO₂ in soil was a microbial action and was oxygen dependent. This is consistent with the known mechanism of oxygenases in degrading benzene rings. Anaerobically, a small amount of ¹⁴CO₂ was released from cyano-labeled ioxynil. Thin-layer chromatographic analyses of the culture supernatant revealed that 3,5-diiodo-4-hydroxybenzamide and 3,5-diiodo-4-hydroxybenzoic acid were intermediate metabolites.     

The adsorption and degradation of glyphosate in five Hawaiian sugarcane soils*

The rate of aerobic evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ from ¹⁴C-glyphosate labelled in the methylphosphonyl carbon, varied 100-fold within a group of five Hawaiian sugarcane soils. The rate depended inversely on the degree of soil binding, probably associated with the phosphonic acid moiety, and to a less certain extent on soil pH and soil organic matter. After an initial rapid degradation, the rate of ¹⁴CO₂ evolution in three soils reached a constant at 16–21 days which continued to the 60-day termination. The other two soils showed a continually decreasing rate throughout. Two soils released over 50% of the labelled carbon in 60 days, a third released 35%, while the remaining soils released 1.2 and 0.8% respectively. Labelled carbon in the soils after 60 days consisted of glyphosate and one metabolite, aminomethyl-phosphonic acid, with glyphosate predominating in high fixing soils. The ¹⁴C could be extracted almost completely with NaOH solution, and remained mainly in solution after acidification.     

Metabolism of bifenox in soil and plants

The herbicide, methyl 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoate (bifenox), had a half-life of 3 to 7 days after preemergence application to a greenhouse soil mix. Metabolites identified included: 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-2-nitrobenzoic acid, 2,4-dichlorophenyl 4-nitrophenyl ether (nitrofen), and 5-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)anthranilic acid over a 313-day sampling period. Comparison of the total ¹⁴C in the soil to that extractable by methanol showed an increase in the proportion of bound material. The major metabolite eluted from a Frederick clay loam soil column was identified as the acid of bifenox and its mobility was associated with the short half-life of bifenox in soil. In vitro studies with shoot-tissue macerates showed that bifenox was not degraded by corn (Zea mays L.) or soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and was degraded to less than 1% by velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic.).     

Aerobic Metabolism of Flupropacil in Sandy Loam Soil

The aerobic soil metabolism of [¹⁴C]flupropacil (isopropyl 2-chloro-5-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-3-methyl-2,6-dioxo-4-trifluoromethylpyrimidin-1-yl)benzoate) was determined in microbially active, sieved (2-mm) sandy loam soil with a soil moisture content of 75% at 1/3 bar. The soil was treated with [¹⁴C]flupropacil at 0·5 mg kg⁻¹ (twice the field use rate) and placed in incubation flasks connected to a series of traps (50 g litre⁻¹ NaOH, 0·5M H₂SO₄, ethylene glycol) and incubated at 25(±1)°C. Soil was sampled at 0, 3, 9, 20, 30, 48, 76, 120, 181 and 238 days of aerobic incubation. Volatiles were collected once every two weeks and on the day of soil sampling. Flupropacil metabolized with a half-life of 79 days under aerobic conditions. The major metabolite was flupropacil acid which accounted for up to 69·1% of the initially applied radioactivity at Day 238. Each of the two minor metabolites detected at the end of the study accounted for less than 0·5%. One of the minor metabolites was identified as C4242 acid (2-chloro-5-(1,2,3,6-tetrahydro-2,6-dioxo-4-trifluoromethylpyrimidin-1-yl)benzoic acid). Only a negligible portion (less than 0·3%) of the applied flupropacil was mineralized to [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide. Extractable radioactivity ranged from 78·9% to 95·5%, with bound residues accounting for 3·2%–23·4%. The material balance ranged from 91·6% to 104·4%.     

Degradation of the herbicide flamprop-methyl in soil under anaerobic conditions

The degradation of the wild oat herbicide flamprop-methyl [MATAVEN, methyl (±)-N-benzoyl-N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)-2-aminopropionate] was studied in soils stored under anaerobic conditions. Comparative experiments were carried out in which soil was either covered with water or stored in an atmosphere of nitrogen. Under these anaerobic conditions, the major product was the carboxylic acid analogue (II) of flamprop-methyl, which was also a major degradation product formed in soil stored under aerobic conditions. However, the 2-, 3-, and 4-hydroxy-benzoyl analogues of II were also detected in soils stored under nitrogen or water and they were present in highest concentrations in the waterlogged soil. A further new product was also detected in waterlogged soil and it was shown to be N-benzoyl-N-(3-chloro-4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-aminopropionic acid. Although no hydroxylated derivatives of flamprop-methyl were detected in soils stored under aerobic conditions, it is possible that they were formed but underwent further degradation.     

Degradation of fluometuron by Rhizoctonia solani

Degradation studies of fluometuron [Cotoran, 1,1-dimethyl-3-(α,α,α-trifluoro-m-tolyl)urea] by Rhizoctonia solani have been conducted to elucidate further the pathway of degradation. Analysis by thin-layer chromatography and autoradiography demonstrated that R. solani degraded 88% of fluometuron (¹⁴CF_3^?) into seven nonpolar metabolites after 35 days of incubation. Trace amounts of polar, water-soluble products were detected, but no ¹⁴CO₂ or radioactive volatile products were detected. Two of the major metabolites were identified by thin-layer chromatography and ultraviolet spectroscopy as 1-methyl-3-(α,α,α-trifluorotolyl)urea and (3-trifluoromethylphenyl)urea, which indicated a stepwise demethylation of fluometuron. The remaining five metabolites have not been identified and have not been previously reported in the literature. Time course experiments and metabolite degradative studies indicated that the sequence of degradation involved a multibranched pathway which did not include CO₂ evolution. The proposed pathway does not include the conversion of fluometuron to the aniline derivative as has been reported for other urea herbicides. All of the data from this study indicate the incomplete degradation of fluometuron which suggests a cometabolic degradative pathway.     

The degradation of diflubenzuron and its chief metabolites in soils. Part II: Fate of 4-chlorophenylurea

The fate of 4-chlorophenylurea in soils was studied with two preparations: one labelled with ¹⁴C in the phenyl ring and the other in the carbonyl group. The initial dose of 1 mg kg^?1 decreased to 50% in about 5 weeks in aerobic sandy clay and in about 16 weeks in anaerobic hydrosoil. Soil treatment with each of the preparations resulted in the release of [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide, pointing to decarbonylation and ring opening. The fraction of non-extractable (soil-bound) radioactivity increased during incubation. Quantities of ring-¹⁴C-labelled and carbonyl-¹⁴C-labelled bound residues differed strongly in the aerobic soil but only slightly in the anaerobic hydrosoil. It is assumed that two sorts of bound residues are formed from 4-chlorophenylurea: one is fairly stable and might consist of bound 4-chloroaniline or its transformation products, whereas the other is presumed to be a degradable derivative of 4-chlorophenylurea.     

Aerobic soil metabolism of metsulfuron-methyl

A laboratory study was conducted to determine the degradation rates and identify major metabolites of the herbicide metsulfuron-methyl in sterile and non-sterile aerobic soils in the dark at 20°C. Both [phenyl-U-¹⁴C]- and [triazine-2-¹⁴C]metsulfuron-methyl were used. The soil was treated with [¹⁴C]metsulfuron-methyl (0.1 mg kg⁻¹) and incubated in flow-through systems for one year. The degradation rate constants, DT₅₀, and DT₉₀ were obtained based on the first-order and biphasic models. The DT₅₀ (time required for 50% of applied chemical to degrade) for metsulfuron-methyl, estimated using a biphasic model, was approximately 10 days (9–11 days, 95% confidence limits) in the non-sterile soil and 20 days (12–32 days, 95% confidence limits) in the sterile soil. One-year cumulative carbon dioxide accounted for approximately 48% and 23% of the applied radioactivity in the [phenyl-U-¹⁴C] and [triazine-2-¹⁴C]metsulfuron-methyl systems, respectively. Seven metabolites were identified by HPLC or LC/MS with synthetic standards. The degradation pathways included O-demethylation, cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge, and triazine ring opening. The triazine ring-opened products were methyl 2-[[[[[[[(acetylamino)carbohyl]amino]carbonyl]amino] carbonyl]-amino]sulfonyl]benzoate in the sterile soil and methyl 2-[[[[[amino[(aminocarbonyl)imino]methyl] amino]carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]benzoate in the non-sterile soil, indicating that different pathways were operable. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

The toxicological significance of paraoxon deethylation

The in vivo formation of deethylation and hydrolytic products of paraoxon degradation after parathion or paraoxon administration was nearly equal in control male rats, and the relative abundance of metabolites was not appreciably altered by pretreatment of rats with enzymeinducing agents. However, pretreatment with inducers dramatically increased the oxidative paraoxon O-deethylase of male rat liver while having little effect on hydrolytic enzymes. Prior to induction, the hepatic O-deethylase activity was greatly inferior to the various hydrolytic enzymes, but nearly equal levels of both enzyme systems were found after induction. These results indicate that a large portion of the hepatic hydrolases detected in vitro is not active in vivo. It also appears that the majority of the induced hepatic deethylase was not involved in vivo at the dosage levels employed. The in vivo metabolism of monoethyl paraoxon was also demonstrated. The predominant metabolite of ethyl-[1-¹⁴C]monoethyl paraoxon is ¹⁴CO₂, while phenyl-[1-¹⁴C]monoethyl paraoxon yielded 4-nitro[1-¹⁴C]phenol. Paraoxon deethylation was also shown to be an important detoxication mechanism in female rats and male mice and must be considered in interpreting the toxicological properties of parathion and paraoxon.     

Analysis of soils for diclofop-methyl and diclofop

A method is described for the analysis of soils for residues of the herbicide diclofop-methyl, methyl (RS)-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy]propionate, and its breakdown product diclofop, (RS)-2-[4-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenoxy]propionic acid. Diclofop-methyl undergoes hydrolysis in the soil to diclofop, which also has herbicidal activity. A procedure, using a 1% phosphoric acid solution for extraction purposes, has been developed and gives good recoveries of both diclofop-methyl and diclofop at the 0.5 and 0.05 mg kg^?1 levels. After methylation, gas-liquid chromatography with electron-capture detection is used to determine total residue concentrations.     

Fate of chlorsulfuron in the environment. 1. Laboratory evaluations

The behaviour and fate of chlorsulfuron in aqueous and soil systems were examined in laboratory studies. Aqueous hydrolysis was pH-dependent and followed pseudo-first-order degradation kinetics at 25°C, with faster hydrolysis occurring at pH 5 (half-life 24 days) than at either pH 7 or 9 (half-lives >365 days). Degradation occurred primarily by cleavage of the sulfonylurea bridge to form the major metabolites chlorobenzenesulfonamide (2-chlorobenzenesulfonamide) and triazine amine (4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-amine). This route is a major degradation pathway in water and soil systems. Aqueous photolysis (corrected for hydrolysis) proceeded much more slowly (half-life 198 days) than aqueous hydrolysis and is not expected to contribute significantly to overall degradation. Hydrolysis in soil thin-layer plates exposed to light (half-life 80 days), however, progressed at a much faster rate than in dark controls (half life 130 days), which suggests that a mechanism other than direct photolysis may have been operative. An aerobic soil metabolism study (25°C) in a Keyport silt loam soil (pH 6·4, 2·8% OM) showed that degradation was rapid (half-life 20 days). Dissipation in an anaerobic sediment/water system (initial pH of water phase 6·7, final pH 7·4) progressed much more slowly (half-life >365 days) than in aerobic soil systems. Major degradation products in aerobic soil included the chlorobenzenesulfonamide and triazine amine as in the aqueous hydrolysis study. Neither of these degradation products exhibited phytotoxicity to a variety of crop and weed species in a glasshouse experiment, and both exhibited an acute toxicological profile similar to that of chlorsulfuron in a battery of standard tests. Demethylation of the 4-methoxy group on the triazine moiety and subsequent cleavage of the triazine ring is another pathway found in both aqueous solution and soils, though different bonds on the triazine amine appear to be cleaved in the two systems. Hydroxylation of the benzenesulfonamide moiety is a minor degradation pathway found in soils. Two soils amended with 0·1 and 1·0 mg kg^-1 chlorsulfuron showed slight stimulation of nitrification. The 1·0 mg kg^-1 concentration of chlorsulfuron resulted in minor stimulation and inhibition of ¹⁴C-cellulose and ¹⁴C-protein degradation, respectively, in the same soils. Batch equilibrium adsorption studies conducted on four soils showed that adsorption was low in this system (K_oc 13–54). Soil thin-layer chromatography of chlorsulfuron (R_f=0·55–0·86) and its major degradation products demonstrated that the chlorobenzenesulfonamide (R_f=0·34–0·68) had slightly less mobility and that the triazine amine (R_f=0·035–0·40) was much less mobile than chlorsulfuron. In an aged column leaching study, subsamples of a Fallsington sandy loam (pH_water 5·6, OM 1·4%) or a Flanagan silt loam (pH_water 6·4, OM 4·0%) were treated with chlorsulfuron, aged moist for 30 days in a glasshouse and then placed upon a prewet column of the same soil type prior to initiation of leaching. This treatment resulted in the retention of much more total radioactivity (including degradation products) than by a prewet column, where initiation of leaching began immediately after chlorsulfuron application, without aging (primarily chlorsulfuron parent). © 1998 SCI     

Differential effects of phenoxy herbicides on light-dependent 14CO2 fixation in isolated cells of C3 and C4 plants

Cells were isolated from the developing leaves of Ipomoea aquatica and Digitaria sanguinalis. The effects of phenoxy alkanoic acid herbicides on light-dependent ¹⁴CO₂ fixation and oxygen evolution in these leaf cells were studied. (2,4-Dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid and (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy) acetic acid (2,4,5-T and 2,4-D) caused a 20% stimulation of ¹⁴CO₂ fixation at 0.8 × 10^?5M and an inhibition at 1 × 10^?4M in I. aquatica leaf cells. Temperature seemed to have a marked influence on such action. No effect or very little effect was observed in the leaf cells of D. sanguinalis. The nonactive (2,4,6-Trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4,6-T) caused a similar stimulation of CO₂ fixation as 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T at low concentrations in I. aquatica leaf cells, but no inhibition was observed at high concentration. Increase of hight intensity increased the rate of CO₂ fixation in both control and 2,4,6-T-treated cells; however, the percentage of stimulation remained the same. At stimulatory concentration, all three compounds did not cause any stimulation in either photosystem I and II or photosystem II-mediated oxygen evolution. At higher concentrations, the differential effects of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T on the light-induced CO₂ fixation and photosystem II-mediated oxygen evolution in the I. aquatica leaf cells and D. sanguinalis mesophyll (ms) cells may be attributed in part to their selective action against dicotyledonous plants.     

The metabolism of the herbicide flamprop-methyl in wheat

The metabolism of the wild oat herbicide flamprop-methyl, methyl (±)-2-[N-(3-chloro-4-fluorophenyl)benzamido]propionate, in spring wheat grown to maturity has been studied under glasshouse and outdoor conditions. [¹⁴C]-Flamprop-methyl labelled separately in the halophenyl ring and the carbonyl of the benzoyl group was used. The major metabolite formed in plants was the corresponding carboxylic acid, II, which also occurred as conjugates. Other minor metabolites detected under glasshouse conditions only were the 3- and 4-hydroxybenzoyl analogues of flamprop-methyl and 3′-chloro-4′-fluorobenzanilide. The soil in which the plants were grown contained residues comprising mainly flamprop-methyl and II together with smaller amounts of unidentified polar material.     

Degradation and adsorption of 14C-MCPA in soil—influence of concentration, temperature and moisture content on degradation

MCPA was weakly absorbed in soils with 2.4, 3.0 and 2.9% humus. K_d-values were 0.7, 0.9 and 1.0, respectively. In soil, not previously treated with MCPA, the degradation of 0.05 mg kg^?114C-MCPA followed first-order reaction kinetics whereas degradation of 5 mg kg^?1 was only first-order for 2 weeks; exponentially increasing degradation rates followed indicating enrichment of the soil with MCPA decomposers. Degradation was monitored by evolution of ¹⁴CO₂. The influence of temperature on degradation of MCPA (4 mg kg^?1) could initially be described by Q₁₀ values or by the Arrhenius equation. After 1 day of incubation in two field soils Q₁₀ values were 3.3 and 2.9, respectively, between 0°C and 29°C; the activation energies were 87 and 76 kj mol^?1. Exponentially increasing degradation rates followed with doubling times of about 4.0, 1.8, 1.2 and 0.6 days at 6,10, 15 and 21°C, respectively. After 51 days of incubation, at temperatures between 6°C and 29°C, about 60%¹⁴C was evolved in CO₂ and only traces of MCPA were left in the soil. At 0°C and at 40°C only 1% and 10%¹⁴C, respectively, were evolved as CO₂ after 51 days. ¹⁴C-MCPA (4 mg kg^?1) was incubated at moisture contents from that in air-dried soil to 2.3 times field capacity. Optimum for degradation was from 0.6 to 1.2. field capacity. Degradation was very slow where water contents were below the level of wilting point and was nil in air-dried soil. In wet soil degradation was delayed, but even in water-logged soil (2.3 times field capacity) MCPA was decomposed after 4 to 5 weeks at 10°C.     

Differential effects of phenoxy herbicides on light-dependent CO2 fixation in isolated cells of C3 and C4 plants

Cells were isolated from the developing leaves of Ipomoea aquatica and Digitaria sanguinalis. The effects of phenoxy alkanoic acid herbicides on light-dependent ¹⁴CO₂ fixation and oxygen evolution in these leaf cells were studied. (2,4-Dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid and (2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy) acetic acid (2,4,5-T and 2,4-D) caused a 20% stimulation of ¹⁴CO₂ fixation at 0.8 × 10⁻⁵M and an inhibition at 1 × 10⁻⁴M in I. aquatica leaf cells. Temperature seemed to have a marked influence on such action. No effect or very little effect was observed in the leaf cells of D. sanguinalis. The nonactive (2,4,6-Trichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4,6-T) caused a similar stimulation of CO₂ fixation as 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T at low concentrations in I. aquatica leaf cells, but no inhibition was observed at high concentration. Increase of hight intensity increased the rate of CO₂ fixation in both control and 2,4,6-T-treated cells; however, the percentage of stimulation remained the same. At stimulatory concentration, all three compounds did not cause any stimulation in either photosystem I and II or photosystem II-mediated oxygen evolution. At higher concentrations, the differential effects of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T on the light-induced CO₂ fixation and photosystem II-mediated oxygen evolution in the I. aquatica leaf cells and D. sanguinalis mesophyll (ms) cells may be attributed in part to their selective action against dicotyledonous plants.     

异噁唑草酮在土壤表面光解及在土壤中的降解和淋溶特性

为合理评估除草剂异唑草酮的环境风险,在实验室模拟条件下,研究了异唑草酮在土壤 (红壤土)表面光解以及在不同质地土壤 (潮土、水稻土和红壤土) 中的降解和淋溶特性。结果表明:异唑草酮在土壤表面的光解遵循一级反应动力学方程c_t = 4.23e–0.008t (r = 0.937),半衰期为82.5 h;其在潮土、水稻土和红壤土中的降解均符合一级动力学方程,好氧条件下,异唑草酮在3种土壤中的降解半衰期分别为10.5、43.3和139 h,厌氧条件下的降解半衰期分别为19.4、18.4和158 h;其在潮土、水稻土和红壤土中的淋溶系数 (R_f) 分别为0.417 0、0.083 3和0.083 3。研究表明:异唑草酮在土壤表面光解速率较慢,而在土壤中好氧及厌氧条件下降解速率均较快,残留期短;其在土壤中淋溶性较弱,不易对周围环境及地下水造成污染风险。     

Metabolism of the insecticide SD 8280, 2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)vinyl dimethyl phosphate,following its application to rice

The metabolism of the insecticide SD 8280 [2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)vinyl dimethyl phosphate] in rice plants has been examined. When rice seedlings were treated with [¹⁴C]-SD 8280 the major metabolite was 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)ethanol which was present mainly conjugated with plant carbohydrates. This compound was also the major metabolite present in grain and straw from rice treated with [¹⁴C]-SD 8280 and grown to maturity under paddy conditions both in the glasshouse and in an outdoor enclosure. Other metabolites detected in the mature plants included 2-chloro-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)vinyl methyl hydrogen phosphate and 2,4-dichloro-benzoic acid, both of which occurred in free and conjugated forms. Paddy water was sampled at intervals after the application of [¹⁴C]-SD 8280 and the total residue in the water fell from initial levels of 0.28–1.1 μg/ml (expressed as SD 8280 equivalent) immediately after treatment to <0.01 μg/ml after 2–3 weeks. The total residues in the soil from these experiments were low and did not exceed 0.20 mg/kg (SD 8280 equivalents) through the 0–15 cm profile.     

Uptake and translocation of benomyl and carbendazim (methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate) in the symplast

Cytoplasmic uptake of carbendazim (methyl benzimidazol-2-yl carbamate; MBC) from an aqueous solution was demonstrated with isolated mesophyll cells. About 2.5% of the labelled MBC (ring-2-[¹⁴C]) in the treatment solution (1.85 μg/ml) was taken up in 44 h. When cotyledons of cucumber seedling were treated with either 347 or 36 μg [¹⁴C]-MBC/plant 1.11 and 0.13% were extracted, respectively, from the remainder of the plant, 5 days after treatment. Greatest amounts were detected in shoot apices. Likewise, when MBC and benomyl were applied at the dose of 2 μmol, 0.34 and 0.57% were detected in the untreated part of the plant with a bioassay procedure. Foliar application with 347 or 36 μg[¹⁴C]-MBC/leaf resulted in the translocation of 1.68 and 0.11% out of the treated area. By scalding the living cells of the petiole translocation was prevented suggesting that long distance movement occurred in the symplast. During a period of 14 days 1.56% of [¹⁴C]-MBC applied to cucumber leaves was metabolised and respired as CO₂. This degradation was assumed to occur enzymically within the symplast.