Herbicidal Activities of Dinitroaniline Compounds in Turfgrass

This study was conducted to determine the herbicidal activity, persistance, downward movement and effect on bentgrass of 7 dinitroaniline herbicides such as benefin [N-butyl-N-ethyl-2,6-dinitro-4-(trifluoromethyl) benzenamine], beslogine [N,N-dibutyl-2,6-dinitro-4-trifluoromethylaniline], prodiamine [2,4-dinitro-,-dipropyl-6-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3-benzenediamine], pendimethalin [N-(1-ethylpropyl)-3,4-dimethyl-2,6-dinitrobenzenamine], trifluralin [2,6-dinitro-N,N-dipropyl-4-(trifluoromethyl) benzenamine], ethalfluralin [N-ethyl-N-(2-methyl-2-propenyl)-2,6-dinitro-4-(trifluoromethyl) benzenamine], and oryzalin [4-(diprop-ylamino)-3,5-dinitrobenzene-sulfonamide) together with bensulide [O,O-bis(1-methylethyl) S-[2-[(phenyl-sulfonyl) amino]ethyl]phosphorodithioate] and siduron [N-(2-methylcyclohexyl)-N'-phenylurea) as the control. In addition, distribution of pendimethalin and benefin into bentgrass was also determined. Prodiamine, benefin, and pendimethalin at the 1/16 dose of the recommended rate showed very high herbicidal activity() on Digitaria sanguinalis, but ethalfluralin and bensulide showed at the 1/4 dose of the recommended rate, showing difference in herbicidal activities among dinitroaniline herbicides. All the herbicides except for pendimethalin had the lower herbicidal activity in sandy soil than that of clay-loam soil. Benefin, beslogine, prodiamine, oryzalin, bensulide and siduron persisted in the soil for about 50 days, but pendimethalin persisted in the soil for about 35 days, and trifluralin and ethalfluralin for about 25 days. Ethalfluralin, oryzalin and bensulide were the most mobile(downward movement) of the 9 herbicides studied. Less mobility was observed in the turfgrass condition than that of the bare soil. Beslogine bensulide prodiamine and benefin had no injury effect on bentgrass(Agrastis atolonifera L., penncross creeping bent grass). However, herbicides like oryzalin, trifluralin and pendimethalin reduced the dry weight of bentgrass by 12%, 30% and 40%, respectively. No significant difference in distribution of pendimethalin and benefin into inner part of leaves, surface and wax layer of bentgrass was observed, and thus it seems that different phytotoxic effect between pendimethalin and benefin may be attributed to different metabolism and mode of action.