Propargite

Toxicity to terrestrial plants

Link to relevant study record(s)

Reference

Reference 1

Endpoint:

toxicity to terrestrial plants: long-term

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

26th May 1995 to 8th December 1995

Reliability:

1 (reliable without restriction)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

guideline study

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

EPA OPP 122-1 (Terrestrial Plant Toxicity Tier I (seedling emergence))

Deviations:

yes

Remarks:

(relative humidity/temperature/light values were outside protocol specifications on occasion, artificial soil exceeded organic content on occassion and watering rate of plants varied upon necessity determined by dryness and not a routine schedule)

GLP compliance:

yes

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Vehicle:

no

Details on preparation and application of test substrate:

- Method of application to soil surface (if used): sprayed directly onto soil surface after the seeds were planted
- Controls: control and formulation control

Species:

Lycopersicon esculentum

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: tomato
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Cucumis sativus

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: cucmber
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Lactuca sativa

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: lettuce
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Glycine max (G. soja)

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: soybean
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Raphanus sativus

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: radish
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Daucus carota

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: carrot
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Zea mays

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: corn
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Sorghum bicolor

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: sorghum
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Lolium perenne

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: ryegrass
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Allium cepa

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: onion
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Test type:

seedling emergence toxicity test

Study type:

laboratory study

Substrate type:

artificial soil

Limit test:

yes

Post exposure observation period:

A minimum of 14 days after 80 % of the control plants had emerged.

Test temperature:

18.9-40.2 ºC

pH:

5.1-6.8

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Testing facility: environmentally controlled plant growth room
- Test container (type, material, size): 3 x 3 " or 3.5 x 3.5 " pots
- No. of seeds per container: 1
- No. of replicates per treatment group: 30
- No. of replicates per control: 30
- No. of replicates per formulation control: 30

SOURCE AND PROPERTIES OF SUBSTRATE (if soil)
- Composition (if artificial substrate): 70 % sand, 20 % clay, 8 % perlite and 2 % pine bark

GROWTH CONDITIONS
- Photoperiod: 16 hours light/8 hours darkness
- Light source: metal halide lamps
- Light intensity and quality: photon fluence of 128-1835 µmol/m²/s
- Relative humidity: 33-79 %

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED (with observation intervals if applicable):
- Day of emergence was noted and observations were made twice weekly concerning any abnormalities or phytotoxicity
- Emergence was defined as any protrusion of the plant above the soil surface; day of emergence was defined as that day when 80 % of the total number of control plants to emerge had emerged.
- Shoot length was monitored weekly and for a minimum of two weeks after plant emergence. Shoot length for all species except tomato, soybean and cucumber was measured from either the soil surface or base of the leaf rosette to the tip of the longest leaf. For tomato, soybean and cucumber, shoot length was measured from the soil surface to the apical meristem.
- Shoot dry weight was measured at the conclusion of the test; all of the plant tissue above the soil or root ball was harvested and dried to a constant weight.

Nominal and measured concentrations:

2.75 kg a.i./ha

Reference substance (positive control):

no

Key result

Species:

other: Lycopersicon esculentum, Cucumis sativus, Lactuca sativa, Glycine max (G. soja), Raphanus sativus, Daucus carota, Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Lolium perenne and Allium cepa

Remarks on result:

other: Treatment at 2.75 kg a.i./ha led to decreases or increases in emergence, dry weight and/or shoot length. However, most changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and all were below the 25 % criterion for phytotoxic effect.

Details on results:

The test material had no effect on seedling emergence or growth in any of the ten species of the plant tested. Seedling emergence ranged from 83-100 %, 80-100 % and 77-100 % in the control, formulation control and treated plants, respectively. Decreases in emergence were recorded for tomato (18 %), ryegrass (17 %), radish (14 %), carrot (14 %), maize (7 %) and cucumber (4 %) following treatment with the test material while decreases in emergence were recorded for ryegrass (3 %), soybean (3 %), onion (3 %), radish (10 %), corn (10 %) and cucumber (14 %) in the formulation control groups. Onion and sorghum treated with the test material exhibited a 10 and 5 % increase in emergence compared to the controls. None of these changes in emergence were statistically significant. Day of emergence in the treated plants was not statistically significantly different to that seen in the controls.

Survival of the emergent control plants ranged from 93-100 %, while survival in the formulation controls and treated plants ranged from 92-100 and 90-100 %, respectively. These differences were not statistically different.

Following treatment with the test material, shoot length was decreased by 1, 2, 5, 8 and 5 % in lettuce, radish, carrot, soybean and sorghum, respectively, compared to controls, while dry weight of onion, radish and carrot was reduced by 13, 6 and 3 %, respectively. None of these reductions were statistically significant.

A statistically significant 23 % reduction in dry weight of sorghum was recorded although this is still below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. Treatment with the test material stimulated plant growth in many of the species tested. There was a statistically significant increase in dry weight of tomato (26 %) and cucumber (17 %) and non-significant increases in weight of ryegrass (3 %), soybean (7 %), lettuce (10 %) and maize (3 %).

Shoot length was increased in tomato (15 %), ryegrass (2 %) and cucumber (3 %) although not significantly. Following treatment with the formulation control, shoot length was reduced in soybean (2 %), radish (7 %) and maize (10 %), dry weight was reduced in soybean (14 %), lettuce (3 %) and maize (18 %). None of these growth changes were statistically significant. Exposure to the formulation control reduced dry weight of sorghum by a statistically significant 17 % although this is still below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. Treatment with the formulation control also stimulated growth in some species. There was a statistically significant increase in dry weight of tomato, ryegrass and carrot (22, 31 and 50 %, respectively) as well as non-significant increases in the weight of onion (5 %), radish (10 %) and cucumber (14 %). There was a significant shoot length increase in carrot and lettuce (24 and 14 %, respectively) following treatment with the formulation control as well as non-significant increases in shoot length of tomato (7 %), ryegrass (3 %) and onion (3 %).

Reported statistics and error estimates:

The percent change in germination rate, seedling emergence and average shoot length and dry weight of treatment and formulation control seeds and plants (n2) compared to the control seeds and plants (n1) were calculated as follows:

Percent change = ((n2 - n1)/ n1) x 100

At test termination, average shoot length and dry weight of the control and formulation plants were compared using Student's t-test. If there were no significant differences between the control and formulation controls, these results were pooled and compared to the treatment plants for the appropriate measurement, shoot length or dry weight. If there were significant differences between the control and formulation controls, then the control plants were compared to the treated plants for that parameter. The Fisher's Exact test was used to determine significant differences in the emergence rates of the formulation control and treated plants.

Table 1: Seedling emergence

Species	Treatment	Emergence day	Max. no. emerged	% emerged	% change	Final no. surviving
Tomato	Control	8	29	97	-	29
	Formulation control	8	29	97	0	28
	Test material	7	24	80	-18	24
Ryegrass	Control	5	30	100	-	30
	Formulation control	5	29	97	-3	29
	Test material	6	25	83	-17	25
Soybean	Control	9	27	90	-	25
	Formulation control	9	26	87	-3	26
	Test material	11	27	90	0	27
Lettuce	Control	3	28	93	-	27
	Formulation control	3	30	100	+7	30
	Test material	3	28	93	0	28
Onion	Control	8	27	90	-	26
	Formulation control	8	26	87	-3	24
	Test material	7	30	100	+10	27
Radish	Control	5	27	90	-	27
	Formulation control	4	24	80	-10	24
	Test material	5	23	77	-14	21
Carrot	Control	9	27	90	-	27
	Formulation control	9	29	97	+8	29
	Test material	8	23	77	-14	23
Corn	Control	6	29	97	-	28
	Formulation control	7	26	87	-10	26
	Test material	5	27	90	-7	27
Cucumber	Control	4	29	97	-	29
	Formulation control	4	25	83	-14	25
	Test material	4	28	93	-4	28
Sorghum	Control	5	25	83	-	25
	Formulation control	5	26	87	+5	25
	Test material	5	26	87	+5	26

Table 2: Growth

Species	Treatment	Ave. shoot length (cm)	Percent change	Ave. shoot dry weight (g)	Percent change
Tomato	Control	11.4	-	0.584	-
	Formulation control	12.2	+7	0.712	+22
	Test material	13.6	+15	0.740	+26
Ryegrass	Control	33.1	-	0.197	-
	Formulation control	34.2	+3	0.259	+31
	Test material	34.3	+2	0.202	+3
Soybean	Control	30.5	-	2.014	-
	Formulation control	29.8	-2	1.741	-14
	Test material	27.6	-8	2.007	+7
Lettuce	Control	10.8	-	0.501	-
	Formulation control	12.3	+14	0.488	-3
	Test material	10.7	-1	0.542	+10
Onion	Control	14.4	-	0.022	-
	Formulation control	14.9	+3	0.023	+5
	Test material	14.7	0	0.020	-13
Radish	Control	17.8	-	0.671	-
	Formulation control	16.5	-7	0.735	+10
	Test material	16.9	-2	0.661	-6
Carrot	Control	7.6	-	0.034	-
	Formulation control	9.4	+24	0.051	+50
	Test material	7.2	-5	0.033	-3
Corn	Control	57.3	-	0.652	-
	Formulation control	51.5	-10	0.535	-18
	Test material	54.5	0	0.616	+3
Cucumber	Control	7.5	-	0.724	-
	Formulation control	7.5	0	0.825	+14
	Test material	7.7	+3	0.900	+17
Sorghum	Control	20.6	-	0.092	-
	Formulation control	20.6	0	0.076	-17
	Test material	19.6	-5	0.071	-23

Validity criteria fulfilled:

not specified

Conclusions:

Under the conditions of the test, treatment with the test material at 2.75 kg a.i./ha led to decreases or increases in seedling emergence, dry weight and/or shoot length. However, most of these changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and all changes were below the 25 % criterion for phytotoxic effect. Moreover, the same decreases/increases were seen following treatment with the formulation control indicating that the active substance, propargite, in the test material is not the sole component responsible for eliciting the observed effects. It is considered that the test material will not have adverse effects on non-target terrestrial plants.

Executive summary:

The study was conducted to evaluate the phytotoxic effect of an EC formulation containing a nominal 80 g propargite/L on the seedling emergence of ten terrestrial species in accordance with EPA OPP 122-1. Seeds of ten species were sown in plastic pots containing artificial soil of 70 % sand, 20 % clay, 8 % perlite and 2 % pine bark. Following sowing, the test material was applied at an application rate of 2.75 kg a.i./ha along with a control and formulation control. Thirty plants per species were tested in each treatment group and the pots were placed in an environmentally controlled growth room at 25 ± 2 ºC, 50 to 80 % humidity and light intensity of >250 µmol/m²/s. The day of emergence was recorded and observations of abnormalities/phytotoxicity and measurements of shoot length made. The test was continued for a minimum of 14 days after 80 % of the control plants had emerged and shoot dry weight was measured at test termination. The percent change in germination rate, seedling emergence, average shoot length and dry weight at test termination was calculated.

Under the conditions of the test, treatment with the test material at 2.75 kg a.i./ha led to decreases or increases in seedling emergence, dry weight and/or shoot length. However, most of these changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and all changes were below the 25 % criterion for phytotoxic effect. Moreover, the same decreases/increases were seen following treatment with the formulation control indicating that the active substance, propargite, in the test material is not the sole component responsible for eliciting the observed effects. It is considered that the test material will not have adverse effects on non-target terrestrial plants.

Reference 2

Endpoint:

toxicity to terrestrial plants: long-term

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

26th May 1995 to 1st December 1995

Reliability:

1 (reliable without restriction)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

guideline study

Qualifier:

according to guideline

Guideline:

EPA OPP 122-1 (Terrestrial Plant Toxicity Tier I (vegetative vigor))

Deviations:

yes

Remarks:

(relative humidity/temperature values were outside protocol specifications on occasion; a number of maize plants had 4-5 leaves instead of 3-4; min. light levels for soybean, lettuce, onion, radish, tomato and corn were <250 µmol/m2/s).

GLP compliance:

yes

Analytical monitoring:

yes

Vehicle:

no

Details on preparation and application of test substrate:

- Method of application to soil surface (if used): sprayed directly onto the plants with a volume sufficient to reach the maximum label rate per pot.
- Controls: control and formulation control

Species:

Lycopersicon esculentum

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: tomato
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Cucumis sativus

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: cucmber
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Lactuca sativa

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: lettuce
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Glycine max (G. soja)

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: soybean
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Raphanus sativus

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: radish
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Daucus carota

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: carrot
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Zea mays

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: corn
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Sorghum bicolor

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: sorghum
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Lolium perenne

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: ryegrass
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Species:

Allium cepa

Plant group:

Monocotyledonae (monocots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: onion
- Source of seed: Carolina Biological Supply, Burlington, North Carolina; Park Seed Company, Greenwood, South Carolina; W. Atlee Burpee & Cp., Warminster, Pennsylvania; Johnny's Selected Seeds, Albion, Maine

Test type:

vegetative vigour test

Study type:

laboratory study

Substrate type:

artificial soil

Limit test:

yes

Post exposure observation period:

A minimum of 14 days after treatment with the test substance.

Test temperature:

19.2-41.5 ºC

pH:

6.0-6.7

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test container (type, material, size): 3 x 3 " or 3.5 x 3.5 " pots
- No. of seeds per container: 5
- No. of replicates per treatment group: 3
- No. of replicates per control: 3
- No. of replicates per vehicle control: 3

SOURCE AND PROPERTIES OF SUBSTRATE (if soil)
- Composition (if artificial substrate): Metro Mix 300

GROWTH CONDITIONS
- Light source: metal halide lamps or fluorescent lighting
- Light intensity and quality: 128-1120 µmol/m²/s
- Relative humidity (%): 38-84 %

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED (with observation intervals if applicable):
- Plant vigour observations including plant health and any abnormalities or phytotoxicity were made twice weekly.
- Weekly measurements of plant height.
- Total shoot length and dry weight were measured at the conclusion of each test. Dry weight was measured on the plant tissue above the soil or root ball after drying to a constant weight at approximately 60 ºC in a drying oven; each individual dry plant was weighed.

Nominal and measured concentrations:

2.75 kg a.i./ha

Reference substance (positive control):

no

Key result

Species:

other: Lycopersicon esculentum, Cucumis sativus, Lactuca sativa, Glycine max (G. soja), Raphanus sativus, Daucus carota, Zea mays, Sorghum bicolor, Lolium perenne and Allium cepa

Remarks on result:

other: Treatment at 2.75 kg a.i./ha led to decreases or increases in emergence, dry weight and/or shoot length. However, most changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and all were below the 25 % criterion for phytotoxic effect.

Details on results:

The test material had no significant effects on plant vigour in any of the ten species of plant tested (all visual observations were ranked 1; 0-10 % effect compared to control). In addition, the test material had no effect on growth in any of the ten species of plant tested (all reductions in dry weight and shoot length were less than the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect). Following treatment, shoot length decreased by 4% in both sorghum and radish (compared to appropriate controls), although these reductions were not statistically significant. Statistically significant shoot length reductions in lettuce (3 %), ryegrass (12 %) and cucumber were (9 %) were recorded, although these are still below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. The only significant decrease in dry weight was for radish (16 %) but again this was below the 25 % phytotoxicity threshold. A non-significant 12 % weight reduction was recorded for sorghum. Treatment with the test material stimulated plant growth in many of the species tested. There was a statistically significant increase in shoot length of onions (9 %), soybeans (10 %) and carrots (8 %) and non-significant increases in shoot length of tomato (4 %) and corn (1 %). The test material also produced non-significant increases in the weight of soybean (12 %), lettuce (4% ), onion (9 %), ryegrass (11 %), carrot (10 %), tomato (3 %) and corn (10 %). Following treatment with the formulation control, shoot length of lettuce and sorghum were significantly reduced (8 and 6 %, respectively) while non-significant shoot length reductions were observed in radish (1 %), tomato (4 %) and soybean (3 %). There was a possible phytotoxic effect on sorghum, which had a statistically significant 31 % reduction in dry weight. A non-significant weight reduction of 12 % was recorded for onion. Treatment with the formulation control also stimulated growth in some species. There was a statistically significant increase in shoot length of onion (6 %) and corn (4 %) and non-significant shoot length increases in carrot (2 %), ryegrass (2 %) and cucumber (10 %). Dry weight of corn (10 %), lettuce (10 %), radish (4 %) , cucumber 92 %), tomato (4 %), soybean (6 %) and ryegrass (11 %) were all significantly increased compared to the control.

Reported statistics and error estimates:

The percent change in shoot length and dry weight of treatment plants (n2) compared to the control plants (n1) was calculated as follows:

Percent change = ((n2- n1)/ n1) x 100

At test termination, average shoot length and dry weight of the control and formulation plants were compared using Student's t-test. If there were no significant differences between the control and formulation controls, these results were pooled and compared to the treatment plants. If there were significant differences between the control and formulation controls, then the control plants were compared to the treated plants for that parameter.

Table 1: Growth values

Species	Treatment	Ave. shoot length (cm)	Percent change	Ave. shoot dry wt (g)	Percent change
Soybean	Control	39.6	-	2.751	-
	Formulation control	38.6	-3	2.904	+6
	Test material	43.1	+10	3.171	+12
Lettuce	Control	14.4	-	1.192	-
	Formulation control	13.3	-8	1.306	+10
	Test material	14.0	-3	1.295	+4
Sorghum	Control	60.1	-	1.130	-
	Formulation control	56.4	-6	0.784	-31
	Test material	57.8	-4	0.991	-12
Onion	Control	30.0	-	0.212	-
	Formulation control	31.8	+6	0.187	-12
	Test material	32.6	+9	0.216	+9
Radish	Control	21.3	-	0.931	-
	Formulation control	21.0	-1	0.968	+4
	Test material	20.2	-4	0.799	-16
Ryegrass	Control	52.0	-	0.693	-
	Formulation control	52.8	+2	0.701	+1
	Test material	46.3	-12	0.770	+11
Tomato	Control	31.0	+	3.178	+
	Formulation control	29.9	-4	3.317	+4
	Test material	31.5	+4	3.353	+3
Carrot	Control	20.9	-	0.660	-
	Formulation control	21.4	+2	0.662	0
	Test material	22.8	+8	0.730	+10
Corn	Control	113.4	-	3.932	-
	Formulation control	118.3	+4	4.319	+10
	Test material	114.7	+1	4.550	+10
Cucumber	Control	60.8	-	6.263	-
	Formulation control	66.7	+10	6.381	+2
	Test material	57.9	-9	6.296	0

Validity criteria fulfilled:

not specified

Conclusions:

Under the conditions of the test, Comite had no significant effects on plant vigour in any of the ten plant species tested. Treatment with 2.75 kg/ha also led to decreases or increases in dry weight and/or shoot length. However, most of these changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and nearly all changes were below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. Moreover, the same reductions were seen following treatment with the formulation blank, indicating that the active substance in the test material, propargite, is not the sole component responsible for eliciting effects. The formulation blank may be phytotoxic to sorghum (31 % reduction in weight) although this effect was not so marked on exposure to Comite (12 % reduction, non-significant and below the 25 % threshold).

Executive summary:

The study was conducted to evaluate the phytotoxic effect of an EC formulation containing a nominal 80 g propargite/L on the vegetative vigour of ten terrestrial species in accordance with EPA OPP 122-1. Seeds of ten species were sown in plastic pots containing artificial soil (Metro Mix 300). Following sowing all plants were grown for one week post-emergence to the 3-4 leaf stage (4-5 leaf stage for corn), the test material was applied to an application rate of 2.75 kg a.i./ha along with a control and formulation control. Fifteen plants per species were tested in each treatment group and the pots were placed in an environmentally controlled growth room at 25 ± 2 ºC, 50 to 80 % humidity and light intensity of 100-300 µmol/m²/s. Plant vigour observations were made twice weekly, plant height was recorded weekly while shoot length and dry weight were recorded at test termination. The test was continued for a minimum of 14 days after the treatment of plants. The percent change in shoot length and dry weight at test termination was calculated.

Under the conditions of the test, treatment with the test material at 2.75 kg a.i./ha had no significant effect on plant vigour in any of the plant species tested. Treatment also led to decreases or increases in dry weight and/or shoot length. However, most of these changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and nearly all changes were below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. Moreover, the same reductions/increases were seen following treatment with the formulation control, indicating that the active substance, propargite, in the test material is not the sole component responsible for eliciting the observed effects. It is considered that the test material will not have adverse effects on non-target terrestrial plants.

Description of key information

Changes to seedling emergence and plant vigour were all below the 25 % criterion for phytotoxic effect; studies conducted in accordance with EPA OPPS 122-1; Aufderheide and Kranzfelder, 1995a/b

Additional information

In a GLP compliant seedling emergence test conducted in line with EPA OPP 122-1, the effect of the test material on seedling emergence was determined in ten species at an application rate of 2.75 kg/ha. Under the conditions of the test, decreases or increases in seedling emergence, dry weight and/or shoot length were observed. However, most of these changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and all changes were below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. Similar decreases/increases were seen with the formulation control indicating that propargite is not the sole component responsible for eliciting the observed effects.

In a GLP compliant vegetative vigour test conducted in line with EPA OPP 122-1, the effect of the test material on vegetative vigour was determined in ten species at an application rate of 2.75 kg/ha. Under the conditions of the test, no significant effect was seen in plant vigour. Decreases or increases in dry weight and/or shoot length were seen although most of these changes were not statistically significant when compared to the controls and nearly all changes were below the 25 % criterion for a phytotoxic effect. Similar decreases/increases were seen with the formulation control indicating that propargite is not the sole component responsible for eliciting the observed effects.