- Source: Difenoxuron
Difenoxuron is a phenylurea herbicide. It is also called 3-[4-(4-methoxyphenoxy)phenyl]-1,1-dimethylurea and is soluble in acetone. There are very few studies about the genotocicity of difenoxuron and these studies are inconcordant but there appears to be a dose dependent relationship between the rate of observed chromosomal aberrations and rate of difenoxuron. It appears as a solid powder, and is stereochemically achiral.
Difenoxuron's hazards include acute toxicity caused by oral ingestion, and acute toxicity of inhalation. It has no notable explosion hazards.
Difenoxuron is commercially known as "Lironion", possibly taking partial inspiration from onions, which it is thereto most notably applied. In the Russian language, difenoxuron is called "дифеноксурон" (transliterated: difenoksuron).
Liming in Boddington soil has been shown by a 1976 study to increase the herbicidal toxicity of difenoxuron by two to three times compared to soil without the additional level of liming. The mammalian oral LD50 of difenoxuron is >7750 mg/kg, and the dermal LD50 is over 2150 mg/kg.
The mode of action of the herbicidal properties of difenoxuron is the inhibition of photosynthesis at photosystem II by binding to protein and halting electron transfer. The target plant of the herbicide application suffers then from inhibited CO2 fixation and lack of production of energy, preventing it from growing.
Difenoxuron is also used on carrots, jojoba, and celery.