Development of Paddy Field Rice Herbicide “Thenylchlor”

From the viewpoint of agricultural situations in Japan, safe agrochemicals for mammals and useful livings in environment have been strongly preferred. Among several hundred compounds prepared, the present authors found a novel chloroacetanilide “Thenylchlor” which shows high herbicidal activity at the dosage of 27 g/1, 000 m2 (10 are) for barnyardgrass in paddy field. Thenylchlor is extraordinarily secure herbicide, being judged from the results of toxicity studies and the studies related to environment. To launch Thenylchlor in the market, we made quite a big effort for the economical production of the key intermediate, “3-methoxythiophene” and the final product, “Thenylchlor” and established a series of epoch-making processes. Getting the registration in 1993, we commercialized Thenylchlor as mixed flowables. The sales are growing smoothly year by year, and the major sales product, “Kusamets Flowable”, became a top three best seller among many herbicides for paddy field rice in 1996.