Tritosulfuron

Uses

Tritosulfuron is a sulfonylurea herbicide found in in ground, surface and wastewater.

Definition

ChEBI: A sulfonamide that is benzenesulfonamide substituted by a trifluoromethyl group at position 2 and a [4-methoxy-6-(trifluoromethyl)-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl]carbamoyl group at the nitrogen atom.

Agricultural Uses

Tritosulfuron (BAS-635) is a broad-spectrum post-emergent dicotyledonous herbicide mainly for use in cereals, rice, maize, and turf with application rates of 40–75 g a.i. ha−1. In cereals, it was commercialized by BASF in 2004 under the trade name “Biathlon®” as a water-dispersible (WG) formulation containing 714 g kg−1 tritosulfuron and is applied at a rate of 50 g a.i. ha−1. The following weeds are well controlled: T. arvense, Mercurialis annua, Urticaurens, C. arvense, Veronica hederifolia, Chenopodium spp., S. arvensis, C. bursapastoris, G. tetrahit, Matricaria spp., G. aparine, Polygonum spp., C. cyanus, Lamium spp., M. arvensis, S. media, Vicia spp., Convolvulus arvensis, Sonchus arvensis, and B. napus. Tritosulfuron acts mainly through the treated leaves, and not via the soil. The compound has the advantage of having a short soil half-life (DT50), which allows recropping after 60 days without plowing.
Tritosulfuron is selective in the following cereal crops: wheat, rye, barley, triticale, oat, durum wheat, and spelt. The application window of tritosulfuron in all winter and summer cereals ranges from vegetation start up to growth stage (GS) 39. Sold in maize as “Tooler®,” it can be applied from GS 12 to GS 18.