FLUCYTHRINATE

The Uses of FLUCYTHRINATE

Flucythrinate controls a wide range of insects on cotton, fruit trees, vines, citrus, bananas, pineapples, olives, coffee, cocoa, hops, vegetables, soyabeans, cereals, alfalfa, sugar beet, sunflowers and tobacco.

The Uses of FLUCYTHRINATE

Nonsystemic insecticide.

General Description

Flucythrinate belongs to the class of synthetic pyrethroids, primarily used to control Heliothis spp. in cotton and other insect pests in agricultural crops.

Agricultural Uses

Insecticide, Acaricide: Not approved for use in EU countries. Not currently registered in the U.S. Flucythrinate is a synthetic pyrethroid used to control pests in apples, cabbage, head lettuce, pears, corn and cotton, but it was used primarily on cotton.

Trade name

AASTAR®[C]; CYBOLT®; CYTHRIN®; FUCHING JUJR®; GUARDIAN®[C]; PAYOFF®[C]; STOCK GUARD®; TOMAHAWK®

Pharmacology

Flucythrinate is the (S)-2-(4-difluoromethoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyrate analog of fenvalerate, partially resolved. Its insecticide action is approximately two times higher compared with fenvalerate (138,142).

Environmental Fate

Surface Water. The half-life of ?ucythrinate in an estuarine environment is 34 days (Schimmel et al., 1983).
Chemical/Physical. Hydrolyzes in aqueous solutions forming acetic acid and other compounds.

Metabolic pathway

Flucythrinate is an analogue of fenvalerate and would be expected to have a similar fate.

Degradation

Flucythrinate is a stable compound but it is readily hydrolysed at alkaline pH to afford 2-(4-difluoromethoxyphenyl)-3-methylbutyric acid (2), 3PBAl(3) and cyanide ion. Its DT₅₀ values at 27 °C are 52 days (pH 5) and 6.3 days (pH 9). It undergoes aqueous and soil surface photolysis with DT₅₀ values of 1-4 days and <2 days, respectively. The products formed under aqueous conditions were 2 and 3. Compound 3 was oxidised to 3PBA (4) and reduced to 3PBAlc (5). The α-carbamoyl (amide) derivative (6) of 3PBAlc was also detected. On soil surfaces, products were similar with the exceptions that 3PBA was not formed and the α-amide (7) and a-carboxy derivative (8) were formed. These are usually considered to be products of thermal degradation (Dureja and Chattopadhyay, 1995).