Fate of [14C]diflubenzuron on cotton and in soil

Aqueous suspensions and oil emulsions of a commercial ¹⁴C]diflubenzuron (N-(4-chlorophenyl)amino]carbonyl]-2,6-difluorobenzamide) formulation (Dimilin W-25) remained on the leaf surface of greenhouse-treated plant tissues. Absorption, translocation, and metabolism of the ¹⁴C]diflubenzuron were not significant. Less than 0.05% of the applied ¹⁴C was found in newly developed plant tissues 28 days after spray treatment. ¹⁴C]Diflubenzuron was degraded in soil. After 91 days, biometer flask studies showed that 28% of the ¹⁴C incorporated into the soil as ¹⁴C]diflubenzuron was recovered as ¹⁴CO₂. Major dichloromethane-soluble soil residues were identified as unreacted ¹⁴C]diflubenzuron and ¹⁴C]4-chlorophenylurea. A minor unknown degradation product cochromatographed with 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid. Insoluble ¹⁴C-residues increased with time and represented 67.8% of the residual ¹⁴C in the soil 89 days after treatment. Cotton plants grown for 89 days in ¹⁴C]diflubenzuron-treated soil contained only 3% of the ¹⁴C applied to the soil. Small quantities of acetonitrile-soluble ¹⁴C]4-chlorophenylurea were isolated from the foliar tissues. Root tissues contained small amounts of ¹⁴C]diflubenzuron and trace quantities of a minor ¹⁴C-product that chromotographed similarly to 2,6-difluorobenzoic acid. Most of the ¹⁴C in the plant tissues (84–93%) was associated with an insoluble residue fraction 89 days after treatment.