The comparative efficacy and mechanism of action of the herbicide dymuron and its two optically active monomethyl analogues, (R)-1-(alpha-methylbenzyl)-3-(p-tolylurea) (R-MBTU) and S-MBTU, as safeners of rice against injury from bensulfuron-methyl were investigated. Bioassays using etiolated seedlings of rice (Oryza sativa L., cv. Lemont), grown either in agar or in liquid media containing bensulfuron-methyl, showed that this sulfonylurea herbicide is a potent inhibitor of rice root growth (I-50 = 120 nM). Similar studies with the herbicide dymuron and its two optically active monomethyl analogues (R-MTBU and S-MTBU) showed that at 10 mu M, dymuron and R-MBTU reduced rice root length by 25 and 17%, respectively, whereas S-MBTU had no effect on root growth of Lemont rice. Combined treatments with bensulfuron-methyl and dymuron or each of its two analogues confirmed that S-MTBU is an excellent safener of rice against bensulfuron-methyl, far more effective than either dymuron or R-MTBU. The protective action of S-MTBU appeared to result mainly from a drastic reduction in the uptake of bensulfuron-methyl by safened rice seedlings. Dymuron and R-MTB U reduced also the uptake of bensulfuron-methyl by rice seedlings, but to a lesser extent than S-MTBU. Quantitative changes in the metabolism of bensulfuron-methyl by safened rice seedlings were also observed, but did not appear to support the involvement of enhanced herbicide metabolism in the safening action of S-MBTU, R-MBTU, and dymuron. The major metabolites of bensulfuron methyl detected in both safened and unsafened rice seedlings were tentatively identified as methyl-(4-hydroxy-6-methoxypyrimidin-2-yl-carbamoylsulfamoyl) -o-toluate; methyl-(aminosulfonyl)-o-toluate; and 1H-2,3-benzothiazin-4-(3H)-one-2,2-dioxide. (C) 1996 Academic Press, Inc.
