About pencycuron: effect of chemical and time of cutting of milked yam Minisetts on storability and Performance of Minisetts

By:JK Okoro
The milked yam minisett technology was developed as a rapid method of seed yam multiplication with an advantage of higher, early and uniform sprouting of setts compared to the normal minisett technology. A study was carried out at the Teaching and Research Farm as well as Agronomy
Processing and Storage house of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi to test the effect of chemicals and time of cutting of milked yam minisetts on storability and performance of setts in the field. The setts were milked in September and October 2006 and same time in 2007, treated with chemicals and reburied. They were harvested in December and stored for 5 months before planting them out in the field. Results showed that setts milked and cut on October 30 each year recorded the greatest rotting of setts in the month of May of the following year before planting
them out in the field, followed by setts milked and cut on September 30. The setts milked and cut on October 15 each year, stored better than the others and had the highest percentage germination in storage. The best treatment among setts milked and cut on September 30（Pencycuron）
yielded more than the best treatment among setts cut on October 15 （Pencycuron and rizolex) by about 73.6% and the best treatment cut on October 30 （Pencycuron) by about 194.6%. Also the best treatment among setts milked and cut on October 15 yielded more than the best treatment
among setts milked and cut on October 30 by about 69.7%. So in terms of the storability of setts, the setts milked and cut on October 15 were the best while setts milked and cut on September 30 that survived storage performed best in the field. The best time to milk and cut the setts is between the end of September and mid October. Pencycuron fungicide performed better than all the other chemicals.

 

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Using dicamba to Control of Field Bindweed

Crop tolerance to herbicides is the most important consideration in selecting the herbicide and rate. Herbicide rate is also influenced by climate, herbicide formulation, method of application, and timing and frequency of treatment. In drier regions, ester formulations of 2,4-D have given more effective weed control than amine formulations. In areas where 2,4-D susceptible crops are grown, the amine formulation of 2,4-D is recommended because amines are less volatile and move primarily as particle drift. Esters are volatile and can drift both as particles and vapor.
Field bindweed can be treated in corn, wheat, barley, or rye with 2,4-D ester or amine at 0.5 pound per acre (1 pint per acre of a 4 pound per gallon formulation) during the tillering stage of the crop. This low rate will suppress field bindweed but will not give long-term control. Greatest control is obtained when herbicide applications are made to field bindweed at the bud stage, but application should correspond to the period of greatest crop tolerance. Fall treatments of 2,4-D at 1 to 2 pounds per acre (1 to 2 quarts of a 4 pound per gallon formulation) should be applied when soil moisture is plentiful and after field bindweed has 12 inches of growth. Herbicides can be applied until a killing frost has occurred.
Dicamba (Banvel/Clarity) is more expensive but more effective compared to 2,4-D for fall control of field bindweed. Research has shown that fall applied dicamba at 1 to 2 pounds per acre (1 to 2 quarts per acre of Banvel/Clarity) gave 87 to 97 percent control of field bindweed (Table 1). Dicamba can be applied after frost provided the stems have not been killed by the freezing temperatures. Dicamba residue in the soil can injure sensitive broadleaf crops planted the following spring. Only wheat, corn, or sorghum can be planted the following growing season. However, even these crops can be injured when dicamba at 2 pounds per acre or more is applied in the fall. Therefore, dicamba at high rates should only be used for spot treatment of field bindweed patches. To minimize risk of crop injury, use low rates of dicamba plus 2,4-D in the fall, which will give good control after two to three years of repeated annual fall treatments. The recommended interval between dicamba application and planting wheat, corn, or sorghum is 45 days per pint of product used, not including days when ground is frozen.

 

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

EFSA releases conclusion on three pesticides peer review

Source:Agropages
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released conclusion on the peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of cyflumetofen, Sodium aluminium silicate and 1,4-Diaminobutane.
Cyflumetofen is a new active substance applied by Otsuka AgriTechno Co.,Ltd. for inclusion in Annex I to Directive 91/44/EEC. The peer review was initiated on 26 January 2011, and focused in the areas of mammalian toxicology, environmental fate and behaviour and ecotoxicology. Based on the evaluation of the representative uses,the conclusion was reached for cyflumetofen as an acaricide on ornamental crops, nursery trees, perennial ornamentals and public greens, as proposed by the applicant Otsuka AgriTechno Co. Ltd.
Sodium aluminium silicate was included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC on 1 September 2009. Initiated on 31 July 2008, the peer review　focused in the area of mammalian toxicology. Sodium aluminium silicate was concluded as a game repellent on deciduous and coniferous trees in forestry and trees in orchards, as proposed by the notifier notifier Fluegel GmbH .
1,4-Diaminobutane was also included in Annex I to Directive 91/414/EEC on 1 September 2009. The peer review was initiated on 25 June 2008 and was concluded that there was no need to conduct an expert consultation. The conclusion for 1,4-Diaminobutane was reached as an insect attractant in orchards (fruit crops), citrus and other crops where Ceratitis capitata (Mediterranean fruit fly) causes damage, as proposed by the notifier Suterra LLC at the time of submission.

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Trials of pencycuron an ptoato: potato / control of rhizoctonia canker evaluation of seed treatment fungicide pencycuron in potato

By: Peppi Laine
The efficacy of fungicides against Rhizoctonia solani was evaluated in one field trial with naturally infected seed potatoes. Pencycuron DS (pencycurom 125 g/kg) was tested with rates 100 g and 200 g per 100 kg seed potatoes and Pencycuron FS (pencycurom 250 g/kg) was tested with rates 30 ml and 60 ml per 100 kg seed potatoes. The standard treatment was Moncut 40 SC (flutolanil 449 g/l)
12.5 ml/100 kg.
The growing season 2006 was exceptionally warm and dry in whole Finland. The potato trial was planted on May 5 in Jokioinen. There were no statistically significant differences in the emergence between the fungicide treatments and the untreated control. The underground stems were assessed for the symptoms of stem canker first after the emergence and again when the rows were closing. In the first assessment, on average 37 % of the shoots per plant in the untreated plots had no stem canker (see figure 1), while the percentage of healthy shoots in plots with Pencycuron DS 200 g/100 kg was 50 % and in plots with Moncut 40 %. In the later assessments there seemed to be more healthy shoots in plots with Pencycuron FS 60 ml/100 (figure 2).
The fungicide treatments did not increase the total tuber yield (figure 3), but all the tested fungicides reduced the amount of tubers with Rhizoctonia black scurf (figure 4). All the seed treatments seemed to increase the proportion of tubers in smaller size fraction 35-55 mm. However healthy tubers in size 35-70 mm were considered as marketable yield. Seed treatments with Pencycuron DS and Moncut increased the marketable yield compared to the untreated plots (figure 5). The treatments with the liquid formulations of Pencycuron FS seemed to slightly reduce the marketable yield in tons. In the seed potato production, where smaller tuber size is desired, this does not necessarily mean economical loss.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Complexes of dicamba with cadmium(II), copper(II), mercury(II), lead(II) and zinc(II)

By: A. Turek, J. Kobylecka, B. Ptaszynski
New solid complexes of a herbicide known as dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) with Pb(II), Cd(II), Cu(II) and Hg(II) of the general formula M(dicamba).xH2O (M=metal, x=0-2) and Zn2(OH)(dicamba).2H2O have been prepared and studied. The complexes have different crystal structures. The carboxylate groups in the lead, cadmium and copper complexes are bidentate, chelating, symmetrical, in Hg(dicamba)2.2H2O - unidentate, and in the zinc salt - bidentate, bridging, symmetrical. The anhydrous compounds decompose in three stages, except for the lead salt whose decomposition proceeds in four stages. The main gaseous decomposition products are CO2, CH3OH, HCl and H2O. Trace amounts of compounds containing an aromatic ring were also detected. The final solid decomposition products are oxychlorides of metals and CuO.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Denmark is planning a tax on pesticides

Source:Agropages

Denmark wants to introduce a tax on pesticides designed to reduce the use of pesticides, said the Department of the Environment on Thursday.
"The pesticides used in agriculture were much more harmful to the environment than many have believed," said the Environment Minister Ida Auken, quoted in a statement. The tax on pesticides is to "significantly reduce the consumption of farmers, and encourage them to choose the least harmful pesticides to reduce harmful effects on the environment." she said. The cost of some insecticides is from 60 crowns (8 euros) to 400 crowns per hectare, while some ecological pesticides become less expensive for use in the future,　according to the statement.
The use of pesticides by farmers "became 30% more harmful to nature" in the past three years　between 2007 and 2010, according to the statement, citing a report by the Economic Institute of Food, University of Copenhagen, Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Aarhus and the Environment Council. "The future of Danish agriculture is to produce agriculture products that are cleaner, safer and more sustainable than in other countries."
The authors of this report have developed a new index that lists the pesticides according to their harmfulness, the statement said. This index, destined to be published annually, will be the basis for determining the taxation of pesticides and measure the effectiveness of the system.

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Consequences of 2,4-d and pencycuron treatment onthree different cyanobacterial species - anabaena fer tilissima rao, a ulosira fer tilissima ghose and westiellopsis prolifica janet

By: Nirmal Kumar J.l.*, Manmeet Kaur Amb, Rita N Kumar and Anubhuti Bora
Three strains of filamentous-heterocystous cyanobacteria such as Anabaena fertilissi,na,Aulosira fertilissima and Westiellopsis prolifica were screened for their photosynthetic pigments, stress metabolites and enzymatic activities in response t0 2,4-dichloro phenoxy
acetic acid ethyl ester and l-(4-chlorobenzyD-I-cyclopentyl-3-phenylurea (Pencycuron).
Amongst them, Westiellopsis prolifica grew maximally in BGii medium amended with both the pesticides concentrations. In 2,4-D ethyl ester treated cultures the phycobilin pigments showed superior plummet as compared to chlorophyll-a and carotenoids in all three
cyanobacterial species. Phycoerythrin showed highest reduction by 86% at 60 ppm in Anabaena fertilissi,na cells grown in medium amended with Pencycuron. After 4 days of inoculation slight raise in protein content at lower concentrations of 2,4-D was recorded in three species, whereas in Pencycuron treated cultures Anabaena fertilissi,na (10% at 60ppm) and Aulosira fertilissima (7% at 60ppm) showed minor lapse, and W. prolifica was unaffected in all treated concentrations. However, carbohydrates and amino acids have shown inhibitor effect on the three species of cyanobacteria in response of the increasing
concentration of both the pesticides, on the other hand, phenols exhibited the increasing trend. Activity of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase and succinate dehydrogenase were adversely affected in all three species when treated with the increasing concentrations of both the pesticides.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Peanut Response to Dicamba

E.P. PROSTKO*, T.L. GREY, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793; M. MARSHALL, Clemson University, Blackville, SC 29817; J.A. FERRELL, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; D.L. JORDAN, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695; B.J. BRECKE, University of Florida, Jay, FL 32583; P.A. DOTRAY, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409; W.J. GRICHAR, Texas
AgriLIFE Research, Beeville, TX 78102; and G.R. WEHTJE, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849.

Dicamba (Clarity) is a postemergence, broadleaf herbicide used for weed control in grass crops. Herbicide tolerant broadleaf crops, such as cotton and soybean, are being developed with resistance to dicamba. Thus, it is speculated that there will be an increase in dicamba drift and tank contamination problems on peanut in the future. The response of peanut to low rates of dicamba has not been well documented. In 2008, field trials were conducted at nine locations across the Peanut Belt to evaluate the effects of dicamba on peanut growth, yield, and quality. Experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with a 3 X 6 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments included dicamba timing [30, 60, and 90 days after planting (DAP)] and dicamba rate (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 oz/A of Clarity 4SC). All treatments were replicated four times per location. The plot areas were maintained weed-free. Generally, peanut yields decreased with increasing rates of dicamba and peanut tolerance to dicamba increased as application timing was delayed. However, in 12 of 28 comparisons, peanut yield losses were greater when dicamba was applied at 60 DAP. When averaged across all locations and timings, even the lowest rate of dicamba (1 oz/A) caused a 13% peanut yield reduction (low = 0%; high = 25%). These results indicate that when peanuts are exposed to low rates of dicamba, significant yield losses can occur. Peanut growers must avoid dicamba drift and sprayer contamination problems

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Pesticides found in market veg

By Ling Yuhuan
The majority of vegetables sampled from five supermarkets in China contained residues of at least one hazardous pesticide, according to a Greenpeace report released Tuesday.

The five supermarkets are Jingkelong in Beijing, Chinese Resources Vanguard, Park"nShop and Jusco in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province and Ito Yokado in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.　
The pesticides in question are either banned or the trace amounts on the produce exceeded legal limits.
According to an independent third-party laboratory, 30 out of 35 samples of fruits and vegetables contained three extremely hazardous chemicals, phorate, carbofuran and endolsufan.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, small amounts of phorate can cause nausea, confusion and dizziness, and at very high exposure levels, respiratory paralysis and death.
Research shows that endolsufan may be harmful to the reproductive system of men. It was placed on the list of prohibited chemicals by China in June 2011.
Phorate was found in Chinese chives in the Tianshuiyuan store of Jingkelong Supermarket in Beijing while arbofuran was discovered on Chinese cabbages in the Tianhebei store of CR Vanguard in Guangzhou.
The researchers also found excessive traces of endolsufan in two Jingkelong Supermarket outlets and one Jusco Supermarket branch.
A Jingkelong employee told the Global Times that she did not know the vegetables contained pesticides and was unclear as to their source.
Another employee surnamed Chen, in charge of quality control for CR Vanguard, refused to provide any details about the quality testing process for their vegetables.
"All of our vegetables cleared the agricultural testing center of Guangdong Province," another employee from CR Vanguard told the Global Times. "Our own quality testing department also tests the vegetables every morning."
Wang Jing, director of food and agriculture programs for Greenpeace, believes the test results reveal flaws in pesticide control and regulations for these supermarkets.
"As the main channel of food supplies, supermarkets should be responsible. They should help suppliers and producers reduce pesticide use, and guarantee public health," Wang told the Global Times.


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About pencycuron: Factors Affecting Formation of Hymenia of Thanatephorus Cucumeris (Teleomorph of Rhizoctonia Solani AG 2-2 IIIB), the Causal Agent of Chinese Amaranth Foliage Blight

By: H. F Lin, J. W Huang,　T. F Hsieh
In the study, Naito’s soil-cover culture method was modified for production of hymenia of Thanatephorus cucumeris, the causal agent of Chinese amaranth foliage blight. Result showed that the peat moss-soil-cover culture method (PSC method) was more effective in producing hymenia of both T. cucumeris RSA-03 and RSA-09 isolates. The procedures of PSC method were as follows: (l) to inoculate each Rhizoctonia isolate onto potato-yeast extract-dextrose agar plate in a 9-cm petri dish, (2) to incubate the fungus at 28℃ for 4 days until its colony completely covered the agar plate surface, (3) to cover the agar plate surface with 90ml soil [included 40% (v/v) BVB No.4 peat moss and maintained the soil moisture at 40-50% (v/v)], (4) to keep the soil-cover plates in moist chamber. Hymenial formation was observed after incubation for 4 days. The PSC method was suitable for hymenial formation of the pathogen and enable to enhance markedly 3-4 fold amount of hymenial production as compared to Naito’s soil-cover-culture method. The factors affecting hymenial formation of the pathogen included temperature, humidity, light, aeration, and culture substrate. The suitable temperatures and pH values of covered soil for R. solani RSA03 and RSA-09 hymenial formation were the range of 24 – 28℃ and pH 5 – 7, respectively. Covered soils amended with various organic matters and fungicides did significantly influence the hymenia formation of T. cucumeris RSA-03 and RSA-09. Result showed that the hymenia of the fungus were completely inhibited by I %(v/v) fish meal, tea seed pomace and chinaberry meal. All the tested fungicides, such as mancozeb, benomyl, carbendazim, flutolanil, PCNB, iprodione and pencycuron were significantly effective in inhibiting the hymenial formation.

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About dicamba: Tolerance of some winter cereal, legume and oilseed crops to pre-sowing applications of dicamba

By: Morrow, P.M.; Murrie, D.I.
Studies of crop and var. tolerance of pre-sowing applications of dicamba were carried out at Turretfield, South Australia, to determine the minimum safe period between application and sowing in minimum tillage systems. dicamba at the normal rate of 0.14 kg/ha did not damage winter wheat, barley and oats. Rates up to 0.28 kg/ha were safe at 3 days pre-sowing and 0.56 kg was safe after 7 days. Linseed and safflower were tolerant of dicamba at 0.56 kg/ha at 5 wks pre-sowing. At 4 wks pre-sowing, safflower was tolerant to 0.14 kg and rape, chickpeas and field peas were tolerant of 0.56 kg.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Less pesticide available for Scots potato producers

Source:scotsman
Scottish arable farmers who have up until now had a range of pesticides to deal with crop disease and pest problems now have greatly reduced resources as a result of European Union legislation. And potato growers meeting in Perth were told by Dr Peter Brain, of agrichemical giant Bayer Crop Science, that the rate of new products now coming through the approval system was dramatically slowing down.

Twenty years ago there were 831 different pesticides approved for use in the EU but that figure is now down to 368 following the introduction of regulation 1107/2009 and Brain reckoned that many more would disappear when the full impact of the legislation kicks in.

Many of the banned substances, such as sulphuric acid, mono linuron and paraquat, were used extensively in potato production but they have now gone and Brain, describing the reduced number of new pesticides coming through, said there was “no cavalry waiting in the wings”.

There are only half a dozen major companies in this area of work and they need to have deep pockets and lots of patience. He listed the cost of getting a single new pesticide through the system at about €300 million along with a timescale of more than a decade.

In order to protect their potential earners, companies also tended to apply early in development for patent rights but the downside to that was it reduced the earning life of the product before it went "off list”.

Scottish growers also heard Danish agricultural adviser Lars Bedkar speak about the consequences of his government’s decision to impose a tax of between 25 and 35 per cent on pesticides in order to reduce their usage. This has been introduced by politicians concerned about such issues as pollution of drinking water and it comes after the failure of a proposal to limit any crop spraying to a maximum of 1.7 occasions in the lifetime of the crop.

Although the politicians have included a clause which says that this should not lead to the “outsourcing” of food from outwith Denmark, he was not sure this buying in produce from other countries would not take place.

Meanwhile, Danish farmers are using more mechanical efforts to deal with weeds in their crops and are reducing their spray application rates even for potentially serious diseases such as potato blight.

"With increased costs, we are now looking at net benefit from our spray regimes rather than total control,” Bedkar said.

If these measures did not work, he said he was concerned that producers might just give up: “I am afraid the extra cost will force producers out. I just do not know where this will end.”

Also speaking at the conference, Dr Gerry Saddler of the Science and Advice for Scottish Agricultural agency said he hoped last year’s rise in seed potato rejections due to blackleg was a wake-up call to growers to tighten up their management.

"We may have taken our eye off the ball and we need to remember basic husbandry rules to help keep this disease at bay.”While there were areas where research work could help in providing answers to this bacterial disease, he said, most of the knowledge for blackleg control was already in the hands of seed and ware growers.

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The article about the pencycuron

Fungicidal composition comprising a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative and a compound capable of inhibiting mitosis and cell division
Inventor: Gouot, et al.
The present invention relates to novelfungicide compositions comprising a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative and a compound capable of inhibiting mitosis and cell division. The present invention also relates to a method of combating or controlling phytopathogenic fungi by applying at a locusinfested or liable to be infested such a composition.
We have now found some novel fungicidal compositions which possess the above mentioned characteristics.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to a composition comprising: a) a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of general formula (I)

International patent application WO 01/11965 generically discloses numerous pyridylethylbenzamide derivatives. The possibility of combining one or more of these numerous pyridylethylbenzamide derivatives with known fungicidal products to developa fungicidal activity is disclosed in general terms, without any specific example or biological data.
It is always of high-interest in agriculture to use novel pesticidal mixtures showing a synergistic effect in order notably to avoid or to control the development of resistant strains to the active ingredients or to the mixtures of known activeingredients used by the farmer while minimising the doses of chemical products spread in the environment and reducing the cost of the treatment.
##STR00001##
in which: p is an integer equal to 1, 2, 3 or 4; q is an integer equal to 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5; each substituent X is chosen, independently of the others, as being halogen, alkyl or haloalkyl; each substituent Y is chosen, independently of the others,as being halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, amino, phenoxy, alkylthio, dialkylamino, acyl, cyano, ester, hydroxy, aminoalkyl, benzyl, haloalkoxy, halosulphonyl, halothioalkyl, alkoxyalkenyl, alkylsulphonamide, nitro, alkylsulphonyl,phenylsulphonyl or benzylsulphonyl; as to the N-oxides of 2-pyridine thereof; and b) a compound capable of inhibiting mitosis and cell division; in a (a)/(b) weight ratio of from 0.01 to 20.
In the context of the present invention: halogen means chlorine, bromine, iodine or fluorine; each of the alkyl or acyl radicals present in the molecule contains from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably from 1 to 7 carbon atoms, more preferably from1 to 5 carbon atoms, and may be linear or branched; each of the alkenyl or alkynyl radicals present in the molecule contains from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 7 carbon atoms, more preferably from 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and may be linear orbranched.
The composition according to the present invention provides a synergistic effect. This synergistic effect allows a reduction of the chemical substances spread into the environment and a reduction of the cost of the fungal treatment.
In the context of the present invention, the term "synergistic effect" is defined by Colby according to the article entitled "Calculation of the synergistic and antagonistic responses of herbicide combinations" Weeds, (1967), 15, pages 20-22.
The latter article mentions the formula:
##EQU00001## in which E represents the expected percentage of inhibition of the disease for the combination of the two fungicides at defined doses (for example equal to x and y respectively), x is the percentage of inhibition observed for thedisease by the compound (I) at a defined dose (equal to x), y is the percentage of inhibition observed for the disease by the compound (II) at a defined dose (equal to y). When the percentage of inhibition observed for the combination is greater than E,there is a synergistic effect.
The composition according to the present invention comprises a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of general formula (I). Preferably, the present invention relates to a composition comprising a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of general formula(I) in which the different characteristics may be chosen alone or in combination as being: as regards p, p is 2; as regards q, q is 1 or 2. More preferably, q is 2; as regards X, X is chosen, independently of the others, as being halogen or haloalkyl. More preferably, X is chosen, independently of the others, as being a chlorine atom or a trifluoromethyl group; as regards Y, Y is chosen, independently of the others, as being halogen or haloalkyl. More preferably, Y is chosen, independently of theothers, as being a chlorine atom or a trifluoromethyl group;
More preferably, the pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of general formula (I) present in the composition of the present invention is: N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbe- nzamide (compound 1);N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-iodobenzamide (compound 2); or N-{2-[3,5-dichloro-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbenzamide (compound 3).
Even more preferably, the pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of general formula (I) present in the composition of the present invention is N-{2-[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl]ethyl}-2-trifluoromethylbe- nzamide (compound 1).
[5-Chloro-6-(2,4,6-trifluoro-phenyl)-[1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-.alpha.]pyrimidi-n-7-yl]-((R)-1,2-dimethyl-propyl)-amine, 5-Chloro-7-(4-methyl-piperidin-1-yl)-6-(2,4,6-trifluoro-phenyl)-[1,2,4]tr- iazolo[1,5-.alpha.]pyrimidine, benzimidazole derivatives, thiophanate, thiophanate-methyl, diethofencarb, zoxamide or pencycuron.
According to the present invention, benzimidazole derivatives may for example be benomyl, carbendazim, fuberidazole or thiabendazole.
The composition according to the present invention comprises (a) at least a pyridylethylbenzamide derivative of general formula (I) and (b) a compound capable of inhibiting mitosis and cell division in an (a)/(b) weight ratio of from 0.01 to 20;preferably of from 0.05 to 10; even more preferably, of from 0.1 to 5.
The composition of the present invention may further comprise at least one other different fungicide active ingredient (c).

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Report of dicamba: Genetically Engineered Crops to Boost Use of 2, 4-D and Dicamba

Once heralded as a breakthrough for reducing the rates and toxicity of the pesticides applied by farmers, genetically engineered (GE) crops are perversely leading to renewed dependency on the very herbicides they were claimed to make obsolete. Growing recognition that pervasive planting of “Round-Up Ready” corn, soybeans and cotton is accelerating weed resistance is prompting GE seed companies to rush to market ’stacked’ varieties that are resistant to additional herbicides, including 2, 4-D and dicamba. Farmers planting the stacked varieties will be spraying these older herbicides in addition to glyphosate, which most commodity crops have already been engineered to tolerate. Professor David A. Mortensen of Pennsylvania State University has estimated that adoption of Round-Up Ready and 2, 4-D or dicamba resistant stacked varieties in soybeans could result in a 70% increase in herbicide use in a relatively short time.
The St. Louis Pots-Dispatch reported on progress that multinational chemical corporations Dow AgroSciences, BASF, and Monsanto are making to bring multi-herbicide resistant varieties to market. Under separate arrangements with each company, Monsanto adds glyphosate resistance to seeds that are simultaneously engineered to resist other herbicides. In October, Dow AgroSciences obtained a global patent on its Enlist Duo technology, which packages an herbicide containing 2, 4-D and glyphosate with seeds engineered to tolerate both materials. Commercial release of an Enlist Duo corn variety is anticipated for 2013 with similarly engineered soybeans projected to become available in 2015.
2, 4-D is a highly toxic chemical which has been linked to cancer, reproductive effects, endocrine disruption, and kidney and liver damage. It is also neurotoxic and is toxic to beneficial insects (such as bees), earthworms, birds, and fish. Scientific studies have confirmed significantly elevated rates of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for farmers who use 2, 4-D.
Monsanto has been partnering with BASF on dicamba and glyphosate tolerant crop varieties since 2009 with a focus on soybeans, cotton, and corn. Commercial release of engineered seeds for these crops is projected for the mid-point of this decade. Dicamba is a neurotoxic chlorinated benzoic acid herbicide that the Environmental Protection Agency classifies as acute toxicity class III, slightly toxic. The material is a recognized eye irritant, moderately persistent in the environment and highly mobile in both soil and water. Chronic exposure is linked to reproductive and developmental effects.
Concern about an impending spike in 2, 4-D and dicamba usage is exacerbated by the timing of the applications for the new herbicides that combine these materials with glyphosate. These new blended herbicides will be sprayed repeatedly during the growing season after weeds emerge and begin to compete with crops. Both 2, 4-D and dicamba are highly susceptible to drift and dicamba is known to volatilize (evaporate) and travel upwards of two miles from the point of application. The spraying of more 2, 4-D and dicamba during periods when specialty crops and home gardens are at their greatest risk of exposure is likely to increase the incidence of pesticide contamination and resultant damages.
GE crops have also yet to deliver on the early promises made by the biotechnology industry to increase crop yields. A recent report from the Union of Concerned Scientists evaluated the overall effect genetic engineering has had on crop yields in relation to other agricultural technologies. It reviewed two dozen academic studies of corn and soybeans, the two primary GE food and feed crops grown in the United States. The report concludes that GE herbicide-tolerant soybeans and herbicide-tolerant corn has not increased yields. Insect-resistant corn, meanwhile, has improved yields only marginally. The increase in yields for both crops over the last 13 years, the report finds, is largely due to traditional breeding or improvements in agricultural practices.
Farmers do not have to remain stuck on a pesticide treadmill that demands ever greater amounts of synthetic inputs and rewards chemical suppliers at the expense of farm profitability and the environment. Organic agriculture is an ecologically-based management system that prioritizes cultural, biological, and mechanical production practices and natural inputs. By strengthening on-farm resources, such as soil fertility, pasture and biodiversity, organic farmers can minimize and even avoid the production challenges that chemical inputs such as synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and antibiotics are marketed as solving.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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UAE orders to destroy banned pesticides

Source:gulfnews.com　

Owners of banned pesticides within the UAE have 90 days to register and destroy the potentially fatal chemical compounds under new regulations issued by federal authorities.
One year after announcing an extensive ban on 401 of a listed 835 pesticides on record since the mid-2000s, the Ministry of Environment and Water announced on Monday that it is further cracking down on killer chemicals attributed to the deaths of more than five people across the country in 2011.
Officials investigated more than 20 incidents of pesticide poisoning last year in which infestation-ridding chemicals migrated throughout buildings under fumigation and threatened human health.
"Companies, organisations, and private and governmental bodies that own these banned or restricted pesticides will have three months following the issuance of this resolution to notify the ministry, or a specialised authority or body, so they can take the appropriate measures and dispose of these pesticides," said the ministry in a statement.

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About pencycuron: Studies on New Approaches to the Control of Diseases and Pests

Wax gourd（Benincasa hispida）has been becoming the favoured vegetable at domestic market for the recent years, but the sustainable development of wax gourd has been prevented by current cropping and pests & diseases, particularly damping off (Pythium aphanidermatum), rhizoctonia wilt (Rhizoctonia solan), fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum) and virus disease, which are key factors to limit its planting extensively and to obstruct it in continuous cropping. Hence, new solution to diseases of wax gourd and its integrated management practice are necessarily studied. In this thesis, seed treatment products were applied to coat wax gourd seeds. The results showed that all germination rates of wax gourd seeds are increased from 60% to 69%~79% by means of seed treatment with two fungicides (Pencycuron +Thiram, Fludioxonil) and two insecticides (Imidacloprid, Fipronil) respectively. Seed treatment with Pencycuron+Thiram and Imidacloprid can ensure undisturbed germination and growth for 78% of the wax gourd. By the seed treatments with two fungicides, their efficacies against seedling diseases (damping off, rhizoctonia wilt) were up to 81.9% (Pencycuron +Thiram) and 46.2% (Fludioxonil) respectively. By the seed treatments with insecticide (Imidacloprid), the efficacy against aphids (Aphis gossypii) was up to 98.6% till 30 days after the sowing, and the infestation rate of the virus disease was also down. The results showed seed treatment, which has become common practice in western, ensure effective protection against seed-borne and soil diseases & pests in wax gourd, it takes place under controlled conditionals, often in closed systems, which are not only independent of the weather but also safer for the environment. Seed treatment with insecticides and fungicides are proposed among the standard methods used in the production of wax gourd, it offers farmers many advantages such as fewer spray applications, a reduction of costs, and considerable time saving, all of which help to increase income. Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum), which has widely occurred in the southern China, is one of the serious soil diseases in wax gourd. In this thesis the antagonistic bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) was used to control fusarium wilt in wax gourd. The results showed that the efficacy of Pseudomonas fluorescens against fusarium wilt of wax gourd is up to 70.9%, but the conventional product (Cabendazim) is 6.7%. The biofungicides (antagonistic bacteria) like Pseudomonas fluorescens would provide wax gourds growers with a new approach to control fusarium wilt. Furthermore, biological pesticides are more environmentally friendly than chemical pesticides, and reduce significantly pesticides residue in the environment such as plants, soil and water. Biological pesticides would be for growers a choice of replacement of some high residue chemical pesticides. A compact package of integrated management practice of wax gourd including the application with new technologies: seed treatment (fungicide & insecticide) and the antagonistic bacteria (Pseudomonas fluorescens) were summarized in this thesis. The field demonstrations of these integrated management practices were conducted at three wax gourd bases of Yangshan, Qingyuan, Taishan of Guangdong province. These results showed that average times of applications and cost of pesticides & fertilizers is decreased by 5 times of application and Rmb153 Yuan per mu respectively, but average yield per mu is increased by 342KG per mu. Should those large growers of wax gourd implement the package of integrated crop management, they would harvest economic benefits, environmental benefits, meantime, the strategy of ICM is also meets the requirement of sustainable development of wax gourd production.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Report of dicamba: Thermodynamic Estimation for Synthesis Mechanism of Dicamba Methyl Ester

BY：XU PENG, CHENG ZHENG MIN，CHEN JIAN HUA, TANG XIAN ZHONG, FEI YUE MING
Thermodynamic estimation for synthesis mechanism of dicamba methyl ester is performed by the method of Benson, Fedors and Rozicka-Domalski group contributions. The relationship formula of the enthalpy change, Gibbs free energy change and equilibrium constant change with temperature are established at 298.15—383.15 K. The results show that this reaction is endothermic. The change of Gibbs free energy is negative and the equilibrium constant K is 1020, so the reaction is feasible in thermodynamics. Finally, the thermodynamics analysis is confirmed by the experiment results.

 

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Sales of counterfeit pesticides rising in EU

Source:euractiv　

Fraudulent pesticides that account for up to 25% of supplies in some European countries are threatening farmers, land and produce, warns the European Union law enforcement agency Europol.
Sales of counterfeit pesticides amount to billions of euros annually and are rising globally.
Organised crime groups are “so well structured and so professional” that wholesalers are unaware they are buying counterfeit products, Søren Pederse, a spokesman for Europol, said yesterday (16 January).
US environmental and law enforcement authorities recently issued similar advisories about widespread availability in some states of untested pesticides and insecticides, saying the fraudulent products pose a potential threat to public health.
Many counterfeit pesticides sold in EU countries appear to violate safety standards and may include banned chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system and the production of hormones.
The illicit pesticides “threaten the health of farmers and consumers and pose a risk to the natural environment”, The Hague-based Europol said in a statement. It said fraudulent products account for up to a quarter of pesticide sales in some states without specifying which.
But some farmers may knowingly use counterfeits because they are less expensive and more powerful, said Hans Muilerman, chemicals officer for the Brussels office of Pesticide Action Network, a global organisation that campaigns against harmful weed and insect killers.
"The enforcement is so unbelievably weak in some countries and doesn’t exist in others,” he said of the EU, “and the farmers keep going on buying it.”
In the 1980s, the European Community took coordinated steps to ban pesticides, such as DDT that were shown to be toxic to people, animals and the land. Other measures have followed, including the EU’s 2008 regulation on pesticide residues.
Possible source of illicit trade
Europol did not provide details of specific cases or investigations, but China is believed to be a prime source of illicit pesticide production. Russia is cited as a transshipment source, though the Association of European Businesses in Moscow says Russia is also a victim, with some counterfeit supplies sold there originating in western European ports.
The association reported that illicit suppliers are fraudulently using packaging and trademarks from agribusiness and chemicals companies that include Syngenta, BASF, DuPont and Dow to mask sales of fraudulent agricultural products.
Ulrich Vollmer, chairman of the Moscow business group, said in a November statement that the illegal pesticides trade “could be compared to the narcotic drugs market. It is very difficult to assess its real volumes in Russia, but experts estimate illegal market from 15% to 30% of total pesticides industry turnover.”
Police in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Spain have all run targeted operations against sellers of counterfeit pesticides. Authorities in Pakistan, Vietnam and the United States recently led sting operations against the counterfeit pesticide trade.
Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About pencycuron: Occurrence of pesticide residues in soils. A pilot study

By: Koops R, Linden AMA van der, Berg R van den
A preliminary investigation was conducted on the occurrence of particular pesticides in the soil. The aim was to gain insight into the appearance and behaviour of pesticides in soil from the plough layer in order to support the admission policy. Seven pesticides were chosen for determination on the basis of their accumulation properties and their market share. Four pesticides were found in the plough layer: atrazine, fenpropimorph, parathion and simazine. The amounts measured did hardly exceed the detection limit, with the exception of atrazine which showed relatively high levels for a number of plots, but also a decline in time. Paraquat, pencycuron and pirimicarb could not be detected in any of the plots. The measured amounts correspond reasonably well with the amounts calculated with the simulation model PESTLA.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

2, 4-D and Dicamba as a Harvest Aid

2,4-D and Dicamba as a Harvest Aid
If broadleaf weeds are going to interfere with harvest, 2,4-D can be applied at 0.75 to 1.5 lbs/A (1.5 to 2 pts/A of a 4 lb/gal a.i. product) at the dough stage of spring wheat, barley or rye. Not all 2,4-D formulations are labeled for preharvest applications.
Some 2,4-D labels only allow use on wheat, others allow use on wheat and barley and others allow use on wheat, barley and rye. Choose a brand that is labeled for use on the intended small grain crop. An ester formulation will give better control and quicker burndown than amine formulation. If using an ester formulation, use a low volatile formulation to reduce vapor drift potential. If using an amine, at least 2 pts/A is needed for larger weeds. Do not expect good control on large pigweed or kochia or wild buckwheat. Large kochia and other weeds with large stems may not burn down and may stay green for an extended period.
2,4-D can be tank mixed with Glyphosate on spring wheat and durum for additional broadleaf control and grass control. See the following paragraph for restrictions and read the label.
The labels of most formulations of 2,4-D have a grazing restriction of no dairy and 7 days for meat animals and a 30 day have restriction. Do not feed straw to livestock.
Dicamba + 2,4-D as a Harvest Aid:
Apply Dicamba at 0.5 pt/A + 2,4-D at 1 to 2 pt/A when wheat is in the hard dough stage and the green color is gone from the nodes of the stem. Dicamba will provide additional control of wild buckwheat, kochia, common lambsquarters, pigweed spp., sunflower, and Russian thistle.
A waiting period of 10 to 14 days is required before harvest. Do not feed treated straw to livestock. Caution: Drift to broadleaf crops is especially hazardous at this time.
Ally + 2,4-D as a Harvest Aid:
Apply Ally at 0.1 oz product/A + 1.5 to 2 pt/A to wheat, durum, and barley in the dough stage and at least 10 days prior to harvest. For use in wheat/fallow or continuous wheat rotation. Do not use if crop was treated previously with another sulfonylurea herbicides. For wheat, Ally + 2,4-D can be tankmixed with Banvel for faster dry down and for weed resistance management. Follow the label for crop rotation restrictions and refer to the 2,4-D and/or dicamba label for grazing restrictions.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

EFSA modifies existing MRLs for 4 pesticides

Source:Agropages.com
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued reasoned opinions for 4 pesticides to support requests of raising maximum residue limites (MRLs) in various crops for these pesticides.

The insecticide, chlorpyrifos was requested by Makhteshim Chemical Works to modify the existing MRLs in various crops. In addition, Dow AgroSciences, on behalf of a consortium of manufacturers, also submitted the change request. The existing EU MRLs for chlorpyrifos on the various crops under consideration are set at a range of values from the LOQ of 0.05 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg.

Request for fungicide, cyprodinil was from the Horticultural Development Company to raise the existing MRLs to 15mg/kg in fresh herbs, spinach and beet leaves, lettuce, lamb`s lettuce, cress, scarole, rocket/rucola and leaves and sprouts of Brassica spp. The existing EU MRLs are set at 10 mg/kg in all crops under consideration except in spinach for which a MRL of 8 mg/kg is set.

Nisso Chemical Europe GmbH applied to set an import tolerance for hexythiazox in tea. In order to accommodate the authorized use of hexythiazox on tea in India, it is proposed to raise the existing MRL from 0.05 mg/kg to 4 mg/kg.

The company Lonza Cologne GmbH submitted an application to modify existing MRLs for metaldehyde in strawberries, potatoes, kohlrabi and rape seed, whereas the company De Sangosse SA submitted an application to modify the existing MRLs for metaldehyde in lettuce and other salad plants, the whole group of spinach and similar and the whole group of herbs. In order to accommodate for the intended use of metaldehyde on these crops in France the EMS proposed to raise the MRLs to 0.5 mg/kg in rape seed, 0.1 mg/kg in potatoes and kohlrabi and 2 mg/kg in lettuce and other salad plants, spinach group and herbs group. For strawberries no need to modify the existing EU MRL was identified.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Report of pencycuron: Control of cotton seedling damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani through seed treatment with fungicides.

BY: Goulart, A. C. P.; Andrade, P. J. M.; Borges, E. P.

The efficiency of fungicides (triadimenol, pencycuron, tolylfluanid, captan and benomyl) as seed treatments in controlling R. solani damping off of cotton seedlings was investigated in Brazil. The most effective control was given by triadimenol + pencycuron + tolylfluanid, follwed by triadimenol, triadimenol +  pencycuron and triadimenol + tolylfluanid. No phytotoxic effects of the fungicides were observed on the cotton seedlings.


Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Dicamba an old companion of “agent orange”

Dicamba is actually an old herbicide that served alongside “agent orange” in Vietnam [7], and has been resurrected as an environmentally friendly chemical through the magic of public relations.
Dicamba degradation was characterized in the bacterium Psuedomonas maltophilia , which can utilize the herbicide as a sole carbon source. Three separate enzymes, an oxygenase, a ferredoxin and a reductase act sequentially to convert Dicamba to its first degradation product 3,6-dichlorsalyicylic acid [8].The primary patent for Dicamba degrading organisms including transgenic crops was assigned to the University of Nebraska. The genes for the Dicamba oxygenase, ferridoxin and reductase were used to transform crop plants. No selectable markers were required because the transformants could be identified by the fluorescence of 3,6-dichlorsalyicylic acid [9].

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Pesticides manufacturing approvals summary in 2011

Source:Agropages.com
The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has totally approved 19 new pesticide projects of manufacturing active ingredients in 2011, 8 new projects are located in Jiangsu province, which is the largest province to produce pesticides in China. Fungicides are the largest category, followed by insecticides and plant growth regulators.

The approved products need to get the China ICAMA registration certificates and production licenses within 3 years after got above mentioned manufacturing approvals, and then enter into market legally.


Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About pencycuron: Daily variation of pesticides in surface water of a small river flowing through paddy field area.

By: Bull Environ Contam Toxicol
The daily variations in the insecticides, i.e., buprofezin, etofenprox, fenitrothion, fenobucarb and pyridaphenthion, and fungicides, i.e., flutolanil, isoprothiolane, mepronil, pencycuron, phthalide and tricyclazole, were investigated in order to evaluate the short periodic variations in the pesticide concentrations of small river waters. The mean and maximum concentrations were 0.05 microg/L (pyridaphenthion)--1.2 microg/L (isoprothiolane) and 0.30 microg/L (pyridaphenthion)--13 microg/L (flutolanil), respectively. The concentration at 10:00 a.m. could be regarded as the representative daily concentration of the day. However, the concentration could markedly vary during the day or the day following the pesticide application. Therefore, the mean concentrations at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. were recommended as the best representative values of the day.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Ready for Dicamba Ready GM crops?

By: Prof. Joe Cummins
Herbicide tolerant GM crops near obsolete
It has become all too clear that genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant crops are not sustainable, as herbicide resistant weeds soon appear, rendering the GM crops obsolete [1, 2] ( Roundup Ready Sudden Death, Superweeds, Allergens... , SiS 28) . In addition, herbicide-tolerant crops may themselves become ‘volunteer" weeds. Monsanto Company had recognized the problem, and created patented herbicide mixtures as early as 2001 to combat weeds resistant to its formulation of glyphosate (Roundup) and volunteer ‘Roundup Ready" GM crops [3]. Herbicide-resistant weeds arise either by mutation or by gene flow from the transgenic crops [4]. The herbicide-tolerance gene from GM crops has been found to transfer to weedy relatives [5]. In short, the useful life of the original GM herbicide-tolerant crops is rapidly nearing its end.
So, crops resistant to the phenoxy herbicide  Dicamba have been developed as a replacement for the near-obsolete tolerance to glyphosate, as well as glufosinate or bromoxynil. Dicamba is produced by BASF chemical corporation and marketed as Banvel, the dimethylamine salt, or as Vanquish the diglycolamine salt [6]. “Inert” ingredients in the formulations include 3,6-dichlorosalysilic acid, dimethylnitosamine, and ethylene glycol and 2,7-dichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Three new pesticides projects approved in China

Source:Agropages.com
Three new pesticides projects have been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (CMIIT). They are: 500 Mt/year for plant growth regulator ethephon tech in Shanghai, 2700Mt/year for fungicide carbendazim 40% SC and 300Mt/yea for insecticide thiodicarb tech in Jiangsu province. The approved products need to get the China ICAMA registration certificates and production licenses within 3 years after approval.
This is the third approval for pesticides projects in 2011 by CMIIT. Last approval for 11 projects was in Nov, 2011.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About pencycuron: Partial revision of the Japanese food additive specifications - Additives - Food Industry

April 6, 2010, MHLW Medicine Food Bureau Food Safety Food safety issued by the Ministry issued 0406 No. 5: Some revised food Additive The specifications.
Under the Food Sanitation Law (Law No. 233 of 1947) 11, pesticides in food and EPN, Imidacloprid, Metribuzin evil, double-cypermethrin bacterial amine, two benzene fluorouracil, Magnaporthe amide, azoxystrobin hydrazone, pretilachlor, Pencycuron residue limits have been revised. Meanwhile, the revised animal drug cefoperazone, Teka neomycin, paromomycin, Lifuximing, and Feed Additive Destomycin A residue limits.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Dicamba not safe nor environmentally friendly

The toxicity of the Dicamba herbicide is worth reviewing. Both pure Dicamba and Banvel proved to increase sister-chromatid exchange in human lymphocytes. The study concluded that Dicamba is a DNA damage agent and potentially hazardous to human [12]. Dicamba proved genotoxic in mutation tests using transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants [13]. Dicamba was found to be a peroxisome proliferator in rats, an activity associated with liver cancer in rodents [14]. Dicamba is certainly not safe or environmentally friendly, and its increased deployment must be resisted.
Dicamba is relatively persistent in the environment and it is only slowly degraded in turf grass [15]. In Saskatchewan, Dicamba was found to leach into the South Saskatchewan river, a source of drinking water for urban populations [16]. High levels of Dicamba were observed in rivers draining two prairie watersheds, Manitoba streams draining agricultural lands were elevated during the herbicide application period in May and June [17].
Predictably, the overuse of herbicides in GM crops has resulted in the GM crops becoming obsolete as weeds become herbicide resistant. Introducing GM crops resistant to an old polluting phenoxy herbicide seems like a measure of sheer desperation, turning an environmental disaster into a real catastrophe.
The only way to deal with the problem of herbicide resistant weeds and volunteers is to return to sustainable, organic agriculture, free of polluting herbicides.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

China issued new pesticide management list of import and export

Source:Agropages.com
To strengthen the supervision and management of import and export of pesticides, the Ministry of Agriculture of China released new pesticide management list, which shall come into force from Jan 1st, 2012. The new list includes 1170 varieties of pesticides under 8 chapters of Harmonized Commodity Tarrif Code of China.

The companies which handle the importing and exporting of pesticides need to first apply for release notification with the Ministry of Agriculture and then declare the Custom with new tarrif number and commodity name from Jan 1st, 2012 .China has implemented an electronic pesticide trade management network system in June of 2011. The Ministry of Agriculture sends electronic notification directly to the Customs Department through the system. It can speed up the Custom clearance and ensure the product safety.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Dynamics of Pencycuron Residues in Cotton and Soil

A field test was done to reveal the dynamics of pencycuron residue in cotton and soil, respectively. 100 kg cotton seeds were mixed with 75—112.5 g (a.i) pencycuron to prevent and cure cotton－seedling diseases. It was discovered that  Pencycuron in soil was decomposed slowly with its half－lives were 7.8—10.1 days, while 90％ of pencycuron was not decomposed after 35 days of treatment. The residue of pencycuron in cotton leaf、 cotton seed and soil samples were not detected at harvest period

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Leaching of 2,4-D and dicamba from home lawns

By: A. J. Gold, T. G. Morton, W. M. Sullivan and J. McClory
Leaching of the broadleaf herbicides 2,4-D and dicamba from home lawns was monitored with ceramic extraction plates placed at a 0.2 m depth beneath undisturbed sod. The site was located on a Merrimac sandy loam. Four treatments, consisting of two rates of herbicide applications coupled with two irrigation regimes. were evaluated on 12 plots. The low herbicide rate consisted of 1.1 and 0.1 kg ha–1 yr–1 of 2,4-D and dicamba, respectively. The high rate used was 3.3 and 0.33 kg ha–1 yr–1 of 2,4-D and dicamba applied in three equal applications. Irrigation treatments were (1) minimal irrigation to avoid drought stress and percolation from the root zone and (2) overwatering at 37.5 mm week. Geometric mean concentra tions of 2,4-D ranged from 0.55 to 0.87 ug L–1 compared to 0.26 to 0.55 ug L–1 for dicamba. The low application-minimum irrigation treatment generated significantly higher concentrations than the other treatments for both herbicides. The low concentrations observed for both herbicides suggest that excellent degradation conditions exist in the root zone of turfgrass during the summer months when application occurs.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

The CCPIA set up pesticides consortiums-China

The Chinese Crop Protection Industry Association (CCPIA) established three pesticide products consortiums at the third conference of the 8th CPCIA council. These three products are: chlorothalonil, carbendazim and mancozeb, and the main manufacturers include: Lanfeng Bio-Chem; Limin Chemical; Jiangsu Xinhe Agrochemical; Suli Chemicals; Jiangsu Baoling Chemicals; Shandong Dacheng Pesticide; Heibei Shuangji Chemical; Anhui Guangxin Agrochemical; Ningxia Tianxi Chemtech; Nantong Baoye Chemical. Director-general of the Association Luo Haizhang hopes that the consortiums will extend the life-cycle of the products and improve the competitiveness of Chinese versions of the pesticide in the global market.More than 600 pesticides were registered in China, but only dozens of generic products were frequently sold in the market. These generic products are: imidacloprid, glyphosate, paraquat, avermectin, 2,4-D, chlorpyrifos, chlorothalonil, carbendazim, mancozeb, acetochlor, acephate.As one of the leading producer and exporter in the world, China has a strong influence on the supply and demand. It is obligate for China to maintain the market order by improving technology and management. The CCPIA has already set up consortiums for some products, including: imidacloprid, paraquat, avermectin, 2,4-D. With the establishment of these consortiums, a platform was constituted for the communications and solutions among the industry. The newly founded consortium will operation on following aspect: the collections of the information on the industry and the analysis on the market tendency; the suggestions and proposals on the policies and regulations; the discussions on the improvement of the manufacturing technology and environmental issues; struggling against the illegal and counterfeit products; collaboration on the registration affairs; the improvement on the after service.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About pencycuron: pioneer chemical product

Pioneer chemical product Pencycuron is a novel fungicide of phenylurea type. The fungicide spectrum of pencycuron in vitro showed that the com pound had specific antibiotic activity to Rhizo-ctonia solani, particularly to Pellicularia Sasakii . Pencycuron also displa-yed a strong inhibitory effect on the P sasakii mycelial development on agar plate amended with the compound at low concentrations, and induced its morphological disorder in mycelial development. The effect property is almost the same as that of Validamycin.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

The usage of dicamba for the Creeping Charlie

Creeping Charlie, try below: "The best means of controlling Creeping Charlie is with a postemergence broadleaf herbicide. As with any pesticide, always read and follow label directions. The best choice for homeowners is a weed killer containing salt of  dicamba (3, 6-dichloro-o-anisic acid). This active ingredient is often found in combination products, such as Trimec or Three Way Lawn Weed Killer, so check the ingredient list on the label to see if it contains dicamba. The other chemicals in these combinations are generally 2,4-D (2, 4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) and mecoprop or MCPP (2-(2-methly-4-chlorophenoxy) propionic acid). Products containing triclopyr or 2,4-DP may also provide decent control. These products are good for applications on lawns, but can"t be used in vegetable or flower gardens as many broadleaf plants are very susceptible to these herbicides and even minimal amounts of the herbicide will cause severe injury. In those areas it"s best to hand pull or hoe the invaders. If there"s more Creeping Charlie than grass in your lawn, it may be easier to start over by killing all the vegetation and reseeding the lawn. (09/15/2006) two major weeds: wild violets and creeping charlie. I had it so bad that that"s all my yard was in the back. I still deal a little with it today a few plants, but really nothing especially with what I started out with. I started using Weed Be Gone about 4 years ago and would put two applications on a year, spring and fall. It killed a lot, but what I did this year helped so much. I applied Weed Be Gone at first, then 4 days later I applied Bayer weed killer, not lawn killer. Then after that I waited 1 1/2 weeks and applied Bayer again. It worked well very well. You will lose a little green to your lawn, but it didn"t kill any. I just applied fertilizer 2 weeks later and it greened right up.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

UAE tightens control over pesticides

Further enforcing the measures for public safety and environment protection, the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) has decided to strictly monitor the use of pesticides in the country.
The MoEW on Thursday urged the residents to be extra vigilant while using pesticides in housing premises, while the commercial establishments have been asked to strictly adhere to the regulations in importing the pesticides and supplying them across the country.
The ministry regulates companies, institutions and individuals handling or using any restricted pesticide under the supervision of technical and specialised guidance and directives of the authorities, a top MoEW official said.
According to her, 168 permits were issued during the first half of this year to import pesticides to the country. Information about the permitted pesticides has been published on the ministry’s website, which also launched an online service recently to communicate with pesticide traders regarding registration and import of such products.”
The mechanism for regulating the import and handling of pesticides prevents the import, registration and trading of banned pesticides.
The official website also explains conditions and scientific specifications for registering and import of pesticides to the UAE.
Dr Mariam Al Shinasi, undersecretary at the MoEW, had earlier said that the ministry takes stringent action to control circulation and use of the pesticides in the country.
"The pesticide management system updates regulations and conditions and develops legislation for controlling such products with stringent criteria for their registration and circulation in the country,” she added.
"The punitive actions against the establishments will be for non-compliance with the Federal Law No. 41/1992 on the use of the pesticides, and the ministerial decision No. 409/2009 that emphasised the pesticides control system applicable across the GCC countries,” the official elaborated.
"The laws aimed at preserving natural resources by effectively controlling various kinds of pollutions and banning materials that pose negative impact on the environment as well as safety of human health,” she noted.
All the new pesticides will be tested in the ministry’s laboratory before providing licence to such products to protect human and animal health and safeguarde trees and the environment from pollution.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About pencycuron: Studies on sheath blight of rice in the low country wet zone

BY: Y. J. P. K. MITHRASENA, W. P. ADHIKARI and D. L. WICKRAMASINGHE
Sheath blight disease of rice caused by the fungus Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn, is becoming a major disease problem in the low country wet zone where environmental conditions are ideal for its spread. The disease has characteristic lesions and in severe cases could completely dry-up the leaves. Some farmers" practices aimed at other targets very often lead to higher sheath blight incidence. Some of these practices have been evaluated at the Regional Agricultural Research Centre, Bombuwela during the last few years and this paper reports the results of these investigations.
These experiments have indicated that sheath blight disease at high severity levels causes reduction in yield mainly due to empty earheads. High densities of sowing as well as nitrogen doses higher than the Department of Agriculture recommendation have resulted in higher disease Incidence. There has been no effect on disease Incidence due to Incorporation of straw, whether Infected or uninfected. Two fungicides, Pencycuron (Monceren) and Tri phenyl tin hydroxide (Duter) have effectively controlled the disease.

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Report of dicamba: Use of Field Lysimeters to Determine 14c Dicamba Persistence and Movement in Soil

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Symposium Series
Persistence and movement of 14C-dicamba was determined in the top 90 cm of a clay loam soil in 30 x 100 cm intact soil lysimeters in the field during a 16-mo period. All of the applied 14C was still in the profile 1 month after application (MAA). Although 97 percent was still in the top 20 cm depth, small amounts of 14C (less than 0.1 percent of applied) were found at the 80-90 cm depth. This was the only time during the study that 14C was found this deep. Of the extractable 14C in the top 20 cm of soil, 14 percent was dicamba and 78 percent was 3,6-dichlorosalicylic acid. At 6 MAA, 50 percent of applied 14C was still present in the soil profile, 99 percent of which was in the top 20 cm of soil. Of the extractable 14C in the top 20 cm of soil, 7 percent was dicamba and 41 percent was 3,6-dichlorsalicylic acid.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Scientific use of pesticides to control diseases, pests and weeds of the key technologies

In daily production, often occur due to improper use of pesticides, and even abuse, indiscriminate use of pesticides in crop injury caused by human and animal casualties and other accidents. Timely information security, a reasonable knowledge of pesticide use is necessary. In the use of pesticides to control diseases, pests and weeds on the one hand to get the best possible control effect, we must also take into account to prevent or mitigate the side effects of pesticides, but also consider the safety of people and livestock, the author in this area The key technology for the following description.
　　1 Symptomatic pesticide
　　Do the right remedy, is the key to achieve good control effect. Otherwise, not only ineffective, but also a waste of pesticides, control delay time, agricultural production losses. We must first understand the field is the disease or pests occurred, what was wrong or what insects. Then learn the ingredients of pesticides purchased, properties, uses. If divisible, fipronil, chlorpyrifos, abamectin is a pest control; carbendazim, thiophanate-methyl, triadimefon and so is the disease prevention; addition to Lufthansa net, acetochlor, high haloxyfop, grass Shu, Roundup and others are weeding. Limited control agents, absolutely no "panacea." For example Decis can prevent a variety of pests on cotton, but cotton spider is invalid. High Gallant control grass weeds Alopecurus good effect, but not on Control in broad-leaved weeds. If medication errors, not only can not achieve the desired control effect, or even cause more damage than the insect pest. Therefore, the object must be selected according to the corresponding appropriate prevention and control of pesticides, so as to give full play to their performance of pharmaceutical.
　　2 Attention to pest and disease control targets
　In the agricultural sector under the guidance of fitness loss of pest and pesticide spraying to consider the cost, human relationship, which help protect fields and natural enemies. Do not saw disease, insects spraying. Crop growth period, a small number of lesions can be seen at any time and pests, should be based on the development of pest and crop progress and variety of pesticides in the agricultural sector under the guidance of medication. Saw damage to field a pest control treatment is often not necessary. Because each insect pest, the control must reach a certain target, only the necessary medication control. Not reach the control index, indicating that drug control unnecessary, even if the drug can be taken to pick the governance approach, minimizing the cost of agricultural inputs. Indicators such as rice pest control: planthoppers: young nymphs per cluster 1000 (tillering stage), 1500 (heading); medinalis: 100 young larvae per cluster (tillering), 50 (booting period); SSB: sheath blight of each group hm2 1200; Borer: egg number per hm2 1800; sheath blight: disease cluster rate of 20%. Cotton pest control indicators: cotton spider mites are mite strain rate of 15%; cotton mirids one hundred worm volume 3; cotton bollworm one hundred young larvae 10; clover aphid Aphis one hundred volume of 10,000; litura one hundred newly hatched larvae of a nest cluster larvae to pick pest nest mainly in the larval pre-diffusion control; cotton thrips top heart rate of 20% of victims .
　　 3Suitable period of pesticide
　Appropriate prevention and treatment of spraying is one of the key insect pest, in pest control, it is usually the young of the pest, likely to be killed in this period, such as Helicoverpa armigera, Spodoptera litura and other general promotion of drugs before age 3, 3rd instar larvae of resistant and weak before, prevention is better. Habits of the pests on a boring, boring pests should be before the medication, such as the yellow rice borer, pink bollworm and so on. In terms of disease, for protective fungicides, crop disease should be sprayed before or early onset, such as rice blast should break before the 3-5d spraying prevention; false smut should break before the 7-lOd spraying top prevention. In weed, the weed in the bud and the primary stage, more sensitive to insecticides, should be in the embryonic or seedling weed spraying, after gradually increased with the growth of Resistance.
　　4 Amount of medication
　Master the use of pesticides must be accurate dose and can not increase or decrease. Application of pesticides currently in the process, some simple and engaging, dispensing without measuring, the number of allowed; free treatment to increase the number of pesticide dose and increasing phenomenon is quite common, it is not only a waste of pesticides, increase costs and undermine the field of natural enemies, and Increasing environmental pollution, and some have also lead to crop injury, and enhanced resistance to diseases and insect pests.
　　5 Medicine rotation
　A (or class) of continuous use of pesticides in the same area for many years, the grass will be resistant to pests, resulting in decreased control effect. If the past is a local control planthopper Imidacloprid leading products in 2005, a local outbreak planthopper, many farmers reaction efficiency of imidacloprid against Nilaparvata lugens ineffective, the suspect produced a brown planthopper resistance to imidacloprid. After the pesticide by the Department of Nanjing Agricultural University and other experts, Professor Jin-Liang Shen tissues of patients with confirmed BPH does imidacloprid resistance to them. Therefore, we should note that the rotation of pesticide use. Year, frequency of use of each type of agent no more than 2 times, can reduce the production of pest resistance. To this end, rational use of pesticides must be emphasized that the rotation used. Such as organic phosphorus bollworm control, pyrethroid, carbamate pesticide rotation.
　　 6Master application techniques
Use of chemical pesticides and application methods should be considered part of. Pest damage stems and leaves usually with spray; control of soil pests is by seed dressing, soil or poison bait method. Different pests in different parts often damage crops, such as the lower part of planthopper feeding in rice, the main damage, so the lower part of rice plants sprayed area should be the focus. Cotton spider mite damage in the dorsal, spraying liquid to be sprayed when the leaves on the back. Be careful not to damage control weeds of crops, spraying is best to use cover to prevent the liquid to splash around. Therefore, when spraying must be uniform and thoughtful, not heavy jet spray does not leak, so that strong winds, heavy rain is not applied pesticides, pesticides applied to avoid the midday heat sunny periods. Summer is best applied pesticides or before 9:00 pm 17: After the most appropriate to the evening, each applied pesticides less than 3h. To ensure that achieve good control effect.
　　 7 Practice strict compliance with pesticides
　　Preparation of pesticides, prohibit the use of cap down drug use scale with a scale or measuring cup straw dispensing. Prohibit the use of drinking water dispensing barrel. Sheng syrup barrels prohibited direct go down, lower river, the pool water, stir the liquid ban hand. Dispensing wear protective equipment, such as masks, latex gloves, plastic film aprons. Windward side of the people must stand against all the toxic smoke in vivo. Spraying pesticides in the field, should adhere to the wind interlaced spraying, stop eating, no smoking, wash hands after pesticide applied, bath, locker, sprayers should be washed clean, unused pesticides shall be properly kept and so on. In addition, children, pregnant women and lactating women should not spray pesticides or direct exposure to toxic solvents.
　　 8 Attention to environmental protection
Packaging after use of pesticides, must handle, it should not discard, to prevent pollution of the surrounding water, to protect their own immediate environment.


Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About pencycuron: Effect of Phosphatidylcholine on the Inhibitory Action of Aucuparin and Two Fungicides against Fungi

Phosphatidylcholine is a type of phospholipids which is known to serve as structural
element of membranes and involves in several physiological activities of organisms, including
plants , In addition, phosphatidylcholine has been recently suspected to play a role in the
interaction between fungi and phytoalexins in the plant　It is therefore interesting to utilize this
type of phospholipids in assessing phytoalexin toxicities. In the previous study it was also found
that addition of phosphatidylcholine to media reduced the inhibitory effects of pisatin against
several fungi .The aim of this study was to determine the effect of phosphatidylcholine on the
sensitivity of fungi to a phytoalexin of loquat (Eryobotria japonica), aucuparin, and two
fungicides, some of the results presented here had been briefly reported elsewhere　.
Eight fungi (Ascochyta pisi, Monilinia fructicola, Pestalopsis funereal, Rhizoctonia oryzae,
Rhizoctonia solani AG-1, Rhizoctonia solani AG-2, Sclerotium hydrophilum and Sclerotium
oryzae-sativae) used in this experiment were isolated from their host plants and cultured on
potato sucrose agar (PSA) at 25 C in the dark and transferred periodically to fresh medium. The
synthetic aucuparin was kindly provided by Dr. Watanabe, Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.
Phosphatidylcholine (Type IV-S, from soybean) was purchased from Sigma Chemical Company,
St. Louis, M.O. Validamycin (Validamycin) and pencycuron (Monoceren) were kindly
provided by Takeda Chemical Ind., Ltd. And Bayer AG., GB., respectively.
The influence of phosphatidylcholine on the antifungak activity of aucuparin was tested
by using a spore germination inhibition test as described by Kiraly et al. with pathogenic and
non-pathogenic fungi of E. japonica. Ethanolic solutions of pure aucuparin and
phosphatidylcholine was added to water so that the concentration of ethanol was 2 % and the
concentrations of aucuparin and phosphatidylcholine were 100 µg/ml, respectively. The agar
block containing spores wasincubated at 20-25 C in moist chamber and the spore germination
was counted under light microscope when germination rate of control rate (2% thanol solution)
was over than 80%. The data in table indicated that aucuparin showed higher toxicity toward non
pathogenic fungi (A. pisi and M. fructicola) than toward the pathogenic fungus (P. funereal) of the
loquat. It was also found that the antifungal activity of aucuparin was weaker

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

About dicamba: pioneer chemical product

Dicamba is a selective systemic herbicide, absorbed through both roots and leaves. It translocates throughout the plant and acts as an auxin-like growth regulator. It is effective against annual and perennial broad-leaved weeds and brush species in cereals, maize, sorghum, sugarcane, turf, pastures, rangeland and non-crop areas and can be used in combinations with many other herbicides.
Dicamba Application: Control of annual and perennial broad-leaved weeds and brush species in cereals, maize, sorghum, sugar cane, asparagus, perennial seed grasses, turf, pastures, rangeland, and nocrop land. Used in combinations with many other herbicides, Dosage varies with specific use and ranges from 0.1to 0.4kg/ha for crop Use, higher rate in pasture

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Banned pesticides detected on vegetables in Tesco and other supermarkets in China

Sometimes supermarket shopping in China means getting a little more than you bargained for. How about eggplant with a side of the banned pesticide methamidophos?
That"s what Greenpeace volunteers discovered earlier this year when they went undercover to test the presence of pesticides in the rice and fresh produce being sold in Lotus supermarkets across Shanghai and Wuhan. Banned pesticides were also discovered in produce from the global supermarket chain Tesco in their Beijing and Guangzhou stores, and Lianhua supermarkets (along with affiliate stores Hualian and Century Mart) across Shanghai, Wuhan and Hangzhou. One leek sample from Lianhua contained pesticide residue procymidone levels at 1.05 mg/kg. This exceeds the Chinese maximum residue level (MRL) standard of 0.02 mg/kg by 52 times, essentially making it an illegal product to sell in China.
Every year 1.7 million tons of pesticide is sprayed on the fields of China. 25% are used on vegetables, 20% are used on rice and 10% on wheat (China Yearbook of Agriculture, 2009). In some vegetable production areas farmers apply pesticide on their vegetables every second to third day throughout the entire growing season. The overwhelming majority of these farms are very small scale. It"s only recently farmers associations are enabling better and more direct access to high value market players such as retailers, giving farmers the opportunity to get a fairer price for their stock and facilitate food safety and quality control.
Supermarket giants such as Tesco should be leading the way when it comes to shifting China"s agricultural industry to an eco-agricultural one, which includes reducing the country"s heavy use of chemicals in production. And instead they, along with Lotus and Lianhua, are seriously lax in keeping to China"s current standards.
Between April and July of this year, Greenpeace sampled 50 vegetable and fruit samples and 12 rice samples from Tesco, Lotus, Lianhua and its affiliates. 35 vegetable and fruit samples contained pesticides. 23 samples contained the pesticide that EU classification lists as hormone disruptors. 19 contained pesticides the EU listed as possibly harmful to unborn babies. Some samples even contained pesticides have been banned in China for over four years.
Studies in Europe, the US and Japan have shown that long term exposure to even the slightest amount of pesticide can still harm our health, such as affecting our hormone system, harming unborn babies and possibly lead to infertility. And it"s not just the consumers who are at risk. It is the farmers, their families and the people of their community, who are in the greatest of dangers.
It"s not fair to expect the common farmer alone to end the nation"s addiction to pesticides. From production to retail, it"s a shared responsibility among producers, suppliers and retailers to ensure food safety. Corporate and social responsibility means doing more than just what the law requires. The actions of the "big three" of China’s supermarket biz have the potential to be game changers. They have the capacity to control pesticide in their products and so it"s to them that we ask: are we going to see an end to hazardous levels of pesticides in China"s food?

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Determination of Pencycuron Residues in Cotton and Soil by HPLC

Yu Jianlei et al (Institute of Plant Protection,Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Ji′nan 250100)
Residual pencycuron in cotton and soil were extracted by dichloromethane,cleaned up by passing through a magnesium silicate-aluminum oxide(Neutral)column,determined by HPLC The detection limit was as low as 5×10 -10 g,and the minium detectable amount in cotton and soil were 0 05mg/kg and 0 025mg/kg ,the average recoveries of pencycuron in soil and cotton leaves and seeds were 90 5%～90 6% and 86 5%～88 8% and 87 6%～94 4% respectively,the coefficients of veriation ranged from 2 1% to 3 5% and 1 1% to 3 2% and 2 2% to 6 7%

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Injection of Hardwoods with Dicamba, Picloram, and 2, 4-D

Author: Sterrett, John P.
Two relatively new herbicides for timber stand improvement, 4-amino-3, 5, 6-trichloropicolinic acid (picloram) and 2-methoxy-3,6-dichlorobenzoic acid (dicamba), killed the more resistant species of cull hardwoods in Virginia adequately and, in several cases, more effectively than dimethylamine salt of 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D) alone. Spaced injections of these herbicides were made with a standard metered injector during four stages of the annual growth cycle.

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD

Pesticides bring a silent spring

It seems incredible that farmers would shun the vegetables they send to the cities. But that is the case in Xundian where 100 hectares of greenhouses provide vegetables for Kunming, about 50 kilometers away. Farmers next door will not eat them due to health concerns.
"Chemicals and fertilizers are widely used. We have to use them to grow bigger and more beautiful vegetables to meet market demand," local farmer He Chengliang said.
"But we only eat those grown in our courtyard without the use of chemicals. The variety may be limited but they are safe and healthy."
It"s not just that farmers use chemicals to control insects and boost the growth of plants and vegetables. It"s that they are overusing them, far more than farmers in other countries.
The government has taken steps to tackle the problem. It has banned or limited the use of highly toxic chemicals, and promoted better agricultural practices.
The use of chemicals has been fed largely by economics.
He, 54, has grown vegetables for more than 30 years in Southwest China"s Yunnan province. Most villagers no longer raise livestock, he said, so they have no ready manure. Buying it costs more than chemical fertilizer, and without pesticides, farmers would need to hire more people to kill pests for smaller harvests.
"Traditional ways of farming will raise the cost and can hardly meet the increasing demand from urban areas," He said. "If no chemicals are used, most urban people could not afford the vegetables."
Not just in Yunnan
Use of pesticides grew nationwide from about 700,000 tons in 1990 to 1.7 million tons (about 30 kg a hectare) in 2008, said Jiang Gaoming, an Institute of Botany researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Average use of pesticides per hectare in China is three to five times higher than in most other countries, according to a report by the National Business Daily in June. And nearly 90 million hectares of crops are polluted every year.
Caijing magazine reported in September that the use of chemical fertilizer throughout China in the 1950s was 10,000 tons a year. By 2007, it was 51 million tons.
Agriculture Vice-Minister Wei Chao"an said at a national conference in July that China"s consumption of chemical fertilizer constitutes 35 percent of global market share, equal to the US and India combined.
"We"ve got many problems . . . that will not only threaten our health, but also harm the farmland," Jiang said. Overuse of fertilizer "will cause the soil to pack together".
It can kill earthworms and other organisms that aerate soil and contribute to fertility.
"Good business"
Global sales of farm chemicals hit $45 billion in 2009 and are expected to reach $52 billion in 2014, according to the Freedonia Group, an international business research firm. China has become one of the biggest players - as both producer and consumer. In 2009, it made more than 2 million tons of farm chemicals, exporting 800,000 tons.
Organic (synthetic) pesticides have been widely used worldwide since the 1940s and still take the major market share. Low-toxicity - and expensive - biological pesticides account for 1 percent of sales in China.
Liu Xiulian, 54, has sold pesticides and chemical fertilizer in Zibo, East China"s Shandong province, since 1996. She owns a family store covering about 20 square meters.
Liu said pesticides sell well during the busy season, May to August, but the business supports her family of four year-round.
"Every family is using farm chemicals. It"s a good business," she said. "Compared with doing city jobs for 40 or 50 yuan a day, we don"t need to go out while selling farm chemicals, which is easy and earns more."
Strict limits
"I don"t think farm chemicals are as horrible as some people believe," said Pan Canping, director of the Agriculture Ministry"s Quality Testing and Inspection Center for Agricultural Products.
Severe insect and plant disease infestations afflict roughly 60 percent of cultivated land in China, Pan said. He estimated that farm chemicals save 58 million tons of grains, 1.5 tons of cotton, 50 million tons of vegetables and 6 million tons of fruit every year.
Pan said Chinese agriculture is moving toward a healthier, environmentally friendly development.
Use of highly toxic and hypertoxic agricultural chemicals is forbidden for insect control, and they cannot be applied to vegetables, melons, fruits, tea, and herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. The regulations were issued by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1997.
Farm chemicals must be registered before they can be sold. By the end of last year, the ministry had approved registration for 600 farm chemicals marketed under 14,000 brands.
After evaluation by the ministry, changes in the "maximum use" labeling - sometimes allowing stronger solutions, sometimes weaker - were required for 200 chemicals. The ministry plans to regulate 7,000 other kinds of farm chemicals, completing those most commonly used, within five years.
Important interval
For modern agriculture, chemicals including fertilizers seem to be unavoidable not only in China but also in other countries. But their potential for harm can be mitigated by generally agreed-upon good agricultural practices (GAP). Practices vary by jurisdiction, but China"s GAP took effect in May 2006.
The principles are broadly outlined for the farm level in 10 areas, including crop and fodder production, harvest and on-farm processing and storage. The common theme is that all possible measures must be taken to prevent food-borne disease as fresh produce moves through production and distribution systems.
For example: To extend their effectiveness, some pesticides contain chemicals that keep them from easily being washed away by rain. It takes time for those chemicals to break down into harmless compounds, so it"s important to use minimal amounts and to allow sufficient time to elapse between the last application and harvest.
"We called it the pre-harvest interval, which is an important part of GAP," said Pan, the quality testing and inspection director. "Only by following GAP strictly can we enjoy safe agriculture products."
Pan said more than 96 percent of vegetables in China meet safety standards for chemical residue. Those that do not result from failure to follow GAP principles. "The problem not only exists in China, but also in advanced countries," he said.
Daily tests
Shouguang, in Shandong, is the "vegetable city" of China. About 60 percent of its cultivated land is devoted to growing vegetables, and it produces about 4 billion kg of them each year.
It also has taken the lead in promoting safer farming by cracking down when tests show that residues of farm chemicals exceed 50 percent. Levels above that amount indicate that either too much was used or the chemicals were applied too close to harvest.
"Almost all villages in Shouguang have a testing office and technicians will do the test every day," said Fan Quande, the Nanfan village chief. "If any hypertoxic chemicals are found on vegetables, the whole plastic greenhouse should be destroyed and farmers who grow those vegetables will be detained."
In fact, he said, 10 greenhouses were destroyed and six farmers in the village were punished in the past two or three years.
Nanfan village has about 400 families and each owns a greenhouse that covers about 1,000 square meters. Fan Jiude, 46, grows cucumbers that bring his family 40,000 to 50,000 yuan a year, he said.
"In recent years, no highly toxic pesticides have been sold in the market and we dare not use them because of the severe punishment," he said.
Fan, who has grown vegetables for more than 25 years, knows about other risks. "The hypertoxic pesticides are so strong that once I was poisoned in the greenhouse, just because I wiped away sweat after spraying without washing my hands. It made me throw up and I stayed in a hospital for three days."
According to the most recent statistics available from the Ministry of Health, more than 17,000 pesticide poisoning cases in rural areas were reported in 2000, and more than 1,000 people died. About a quarter of the poisoning cases happened during farmwork.
Leak in the system
In Fan Jiude"s greenhouse, some small plastic bags lay on the ground, empty containers for chemical fertilizer he uses to make his cucumbers grow larger. The instructions on the back of the bag said the contents should be diluted 1:15 - one part fertilizer to 15 parts water. Fan said he uses only 10 parts water.
In the village"s agricultural testing office, the man conducting the tests is supposed to wear gloves and use tweezers when he cuts rind from a cucumber to test for chemical residue. He had neither but, when prodded by the village chief, used scissors instead of tweezers. But he said he does wash containers after each sample is tested and uses distilled water - both parts of the protocol - so the results can be trusted.
"That"s where the problem is," said Jiang, the botany researcher. "Public sectors are speeding up to build a safe system, but the effect still lags behind. It takes time to educate farmers and to run the system well in the grassroots units."

Yangzhou pioneer chemical CO.,LTD