The potato is a starchy root vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are tubers of the plant Solanum tuberosum, a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum systemic herbicide and crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting the plant enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSP). It is used to kill weeds, especially annual broadleaf weeds and grasses that compete with crops. Its herbicidal effectiveness was discovered by Monsanto chemist John E. Franz in 1970. Monsanto brought it to market for agricultural use in 1974 under the trade name Roundup. Monsanto's last commercially relevant United States patent expired in 2000.
Lindane, also known as gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH), gammaxene, Gammallin and benzene hexachloride (BHC), is an organochlorine chemical and an isomer of hexachlorocyclohexane that has been used both as an agricultural insecticide and as a pharmaceutical treatment for lice and scabies.
Chlorfenvinphos is an organophosphorus compound that was widely used as an insecticide and an acaricide. The molecule itself can be described as an enol ester derived from dichloroacetophenone and diethylphosphonic acid. Chlorfenvinphos has been included in many products since its first use in 1963. However, because of its toxic effect as a cholinesterase inhibitor it has been banned in several countries, including the United States and the European Union. Its use in the United States was cancelled in 1991.
Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the nightshade family within the genus Solanum, such as the potato, the tomato, and the eggplant. It can occur naturally in any part of the plant, including the leaves, fruit, and tubers. Solanine has pesticidal properties, and it is one of the plant's natural defenses. Solanine was first isolated in 1820 from the berries of the European black nightshade, after which it was named. It belongs to the chemical family of saponins.
Diquat is the ISO common name for an organic dication that, as a salt with counterions such as bromide or chloride is used as a contact herbicide that produces desiccation and defoliation. Diquat is no longer approved for use in the European Union, although its registration in many other countries including the USA is still valid.
Glufosinate is a naturally occurring broad-spectrum herbicide produced by several species of Streptomyces soil bacteria. Glufosinate is a non-selective, contact herbicide, with some systemic action. Plants may also metabolize bialaphos and phosalacine, other naturally occurring herbicides, directly into glufosinate. The compound irreversibly inhibits glutamine synthetase, an enzyme necessary for the production of glutamine and for ammonia detoxification, giving it antibacterial, antifungal and herbicidal properties. Application of glufosinate to plants leads to reduced glutamine and elevated ammonia levels in tissues, halting photosynthesis and resulting in plant death.
Chlorothalonil (2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile) is an organic compound mainly used as a broad spectrum, nonsystemic fungicide, with other uses as a wood protectant, pesticide, acaricide, and to control mold, mildew, bacteria, algae. Chlorothalonil-containing products are sold under the names Bravo, Echo, and Daconil. It was first registered for use in the US in 1966. In 1997, the most recent year for which data are available, it was the third most used fungicide in the US, behind only sulfur and copper, with 12 million pounds used in agriculture that year. Including nonagricultural uses, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates, on average, almost 15 million lb (6.8 million kg) were used annually from 1990 to 1996.
Diphenylamine is an organic compound with the formula (C6H5)2NH. The compound is a derivative of aniline, consisting of an amine bound to two phenyl groups. The compound is a colorless solid, but commercial samples are often yellow due to oxidized impurities. Diphenylamine dissolves well in many common organic solvents, and is moderately soluble in water. It is used mainly for its antioxidant properties. Diphenylamine is widely used as an industrial antioxidant, dye mordant and reagent and is also employed in agriculture as a fungicide and antihelmintic.
Dinoseb is a common industry name for 6-sec-butyl-2,4-dinitrophenol, a herbicide in the dinitrophenol family. It is a crystalline orange solid which does not readily dissolve in water. Dinoseb is banned as an herbicide in the European Union (EU) and the United States because of its toxicity.
Enilconazole is a fungicide widely used in agriculture, particularly in the growing of citrus fruits. Trade names include Freshgard, Fungaflor, and Nuzone.
Monolinuron is a pesticide, more specifically a selective systemic herbicide and an algaecide. As an herbicide, it is used to control broad-leaved weeds and annual grasses in vegetable crops such as leeks, potatoes, and dwarf French beans. Monolinuron affects the photosynthesis in weeds. Following uptake of monolinuron through roots and leaves of weeds, monolinuron causes early symptoms of yellowing and die-back of the leaves, eventually resulting in weed death. In fishkeeping, it is used to control blanket weed and hair algae.
α-Chaconine is a steroidal glycoalkaloid that occurs in plants of the family Solanaceae. It is a natural toxicant produced in green potatoes and gives the potato a bitter taste. Tubers produce this glycoalkaloid in response to stress, providing the plant with insecticidal and fungicidal properties. It belongs to the chemical family of saponins. Since it causes physiological effects on individual organism, chaconine is considered to be defensive allelochemical. Solanine is a related substance that has similar properties.
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula C8H6Cl2O3 which is usually referred to by its ISO common name 2,4-D. It is a systemic herbicide which kills most broadleaf weeds by causing uncontrolled growth in them but most grasses such as cereals, lawn turf, and grassland are relatively unaffected.
Ethoprophos (or ethoprop) is an organophosphate ester with the formula C8H19O2PS2. It is a clear yellow to colourless liquid that has a characteristic mercaptan-like odour. It is used as an insecticide and nematicide and it is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.
Bentazon is a chemical manufactured by BASF Chemicals for use in herbicides. It is categorized under the thiadiazine group of chemicals. Sodium bentazon is available commercially and appears slightly brown in colour.
Novaluron, or (±)-1-[3-chloro-4-(1,1,2-trifluoro-2-trifluoro- methoxyethoxy)phenyl]-3-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)urea, is a chemical with pesticide properties, belonging to the class of insecticides called insect growth regulators. It is a benzoylphenyl urea developed by Makhteshim-Agan Industries Ltd.. In the United States, the compound has been used on food crops, including apples, potatoes, brassicas, ornamentals, and cotton. Patents and registrations have been approved or are ongoing in several other countries throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and Australia. The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency consider novaluron to pose low risk to the environment and non-target organisms and value it as an important option for integrated pest management that should decrease reliance on organophosphorus, carbamate and pyrethroid insecticides.
Fluazinam is a broad-spectrum fungicide used in agriculture. It is classed as a diarylamine and more specifically an arylaminopyridine. Its chemical name is 3-chloro-N-(3-chloro-2,6-dinitro-4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-5-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridinamine. The mode of action involves the compound being an extremely potent uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria and also having high reactivity with thiols. It is unique amongst uncouplers in displaying broad-spectrum activity against fungi and also very low toxicity to mammals due to it being rapidly metabolised to a compound without uncoupling activity. It was first described in 1992 and was developed by researchers at the Japanese company Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha.
Fluopicolide is a fungicide used in agriculture to control diseases caused by oomycetes such as late blight of potato. It is classed as an acylpicolide and its chemical name is 2,6-dichloro-N-{[3-chloro-5-(trifluoromethyl)pyridin-2-yl]methyl}benzamide. The precise mode of action is not known, but it is thought to act by affecting spectrin-like proteins in the cytoskeleton of oomycetes. This mode of action differs from other available fungicides used to control oomycetes and it can inhibit the growth of strains that are resistant to phenylamides, strobilurin, dimethomorph and iprovalicarb. It has some systemic activity as it moves through the xylem towards the tips of stems, but does not get transported to the roots. It affects the motility of zoospores, the germination of cysts, the growth of the mycelium and sporulation. Bayer CropScience developed the compound and it was first released as a commercial product in 2006.
1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene (1,4DMN) is a plant growth regulator that occurs naturally in potato tubers, preventing them from sprouting. Synthetic forms such as 1-4SIGHT are applied to potatoes during storage.
