Accelerated degradation of metam-sodium in soil and consequences for root-disease management.

We studied the development of accelerated degradation (AD) of methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) following repeated applications of its parent compound, metam-sodium (MS). Laboratory studies and four sets of field experiments were conducted during 2002-04 in three commercial fields in Israel. Repeated applications of MS to the three soils in the laboratory under controlled conditions demonstrated AD of MITC in some soils.

Generation and Dissipation of Methyl Isothiocyanate in Soils Following Metam Sodium Fumigation: Impact on Verticillium Control and Potato Yield.

The fate of methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) was studied in agricultural soils following metam sodium (MS) application in a controlled system and under field conditions as it was related to disease control. Soil samples were collected from 34 field sites in Israel with no history of MS application. The generation and dissipation curves of MITC in these soils, under controlled conditions, varied significantly among the soils, as reflected by the concentration by time (C × T) product.