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Disease Control and Pest Management

Dichloromethane: Nonaqueous Vehicle for Systemic Fungicides in Soybean Seeds. M. A. Ellis, Former Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801, Senior author’s present address: Agronomy Department, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez; S. R. Foor(2), and J. B. Sinclair(3). (2)(3)Graduate Research Assistant, and Professor, respectively, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801. Phytopathology 66:1249-1251. Accepted for publication 12 April 1976. Copyright © 1976 The American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121. All rights reserved.. DOI: 10.1094/Phyto-66-1249.

Fungicide activity was detected in dormant soybean (Glycine max ‘Wells’) seeds after soaking for 0.5, 1.5, 4, or 24 hours in 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, or 1,600 μg/ml methyl 2-benzimidazolecarbamate (MBC) or [2(4’-thiazolyl) benzi-midazole] (thiabendazole) in dichloromethane (methylene chloride) (DCM), but not when captan, thiram, and carboxin were used. Carboxin, but not captan or thiram, lost fungicidal activity when mixed with DCM. Dichloromethane facilitated the movement of MBC and thiabendazole into dormant soybean seeds in the absence of water. Zones of inhibition in agar plates around treated seeds increased in size with increased concentration of fungicide and soaking time. Soybean (cultivars Hill and Wells) seeds treated with MBC in DCM and thiabendazole in DCM had decreased incidence of internally-borne fungi (Phomopsis spp.), higher germination in vitro, and emergence in vermiculite and soil than control seeds treated with DCM alone. Dichloromethane appeared to have some antifungal activity.