INHIBITING INDUCED PHYTOTOXICITY IN HERBICIDES ON RICE

摘要

A previously unsuspected cause of herbicide-induced phytotoxicity in rice is disclosed, as is a successful treatment for the problem. Fungi are responsible for dehalogenating halogenated aromatic herbicides. The dehalogenated aromatic compounds then cause serious injury to growing rice plants. The problem has been overcome by treating the herbicide with a fungicide. When fungal metabolism of the herbicide is thus inhibited, the herbicide is not dehalogenated, and the herbicide does not injure rice plants. In a preferred embodiment, the fungicide iprodione was impregnated onto the herbicide thiobencarb, greatly reducing the induced phytotoxicity of the herbicide thiobencarb, without substantially affecting the desired herbicidal activity of thiobencarb.