Monolinuron is a pesticide, more specifically a selective systemic herbicide and an

algaecide Algaecide or algicide is a biocide used for killing and preventing the growth of algae, often defined in a loose sense that, beyond the biological definition, also includes cyanobacteria ("blue-green algae"). An algaecide may be used for controlle ...

. As an herbicide, it is used to control broad-leaved

weed A weed is a plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, "a plant in the wrong place", or a plant growing where it is not wanted.Harlan, J. R., & deWet, J. M. (1965). Some thoughts about weeds. ''Economic botany'', ''19''(1), 16-24. ...

s and annual grasses in vegetable crops such as leeks,

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

es, and dwarf French beans. Monolinuron affects the

photosynthesis Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy that, through cellular respiration, can later be released to fuel the organism's activities. Some of this chemical energy is stored i ...

in weeds. Following uptake of monolinuron through roots and leaves of weeds, monolinuron causes early symptoms of yellowing and die-back of the leaves, eventually resulting in weed death. In

fishkeeping Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. There is also a piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture. Origins of fishkeeping Fish hav ...

it is used to control blanket weed and hair algae. As a herbicide it is used in a range of food and non-food crops, e.g. beans and other vegetables, onions, fruits, cereals, potatoes, vines and ornamental plants. It was introduced to use in circa 1965. It is an inhibitor of photosystem II of photosynthesis. It is a derivative of

urea Urea, also known as carbamide, is an organic compound with chemical formula . This amide has two amino groups (–) joined by a carbonyl functional group (–C(=O)–). It is thus the simplest amide of carbamic acid. Urea serves an important ...

and related to paraquat. It is available under various trade names e.g. Monamex, Gramonol, Aresin. It is soluble in water (0.735 g/L), and very soluble in organic solvents (200 g/L in

acetone Acetone (2-propanone or dimethyl ketone), is an organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest and smallest ketone (). It is a colorless, highly volatile and flammable liquid with a characteristic pungent odour. Acetone is miscib ...

, methanol, and

toluene Toluene (), also known as toluol (), is a substituted aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a colorless, water-insoluble liquid with the smell associated with paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, consisting of a methyl group (CH3) a ...

, 3.9 g/L in

hexane Hexane () is an organic compound, a straight-chain alkane with six carbon atoms and has the molecular formula C6H14. It is a colorless liquid, odorless when pure, and with boiling points approximately . It is widely used as a cheap, relatively ...

). Its volatility is low and its leachability is high. It is moderately persistent and moderately mobile in soil, stable in water, and fast degraded in water sediments (DT50 of 22 days). It has low toxicity for mammals (LD50 oral for a rat is 2100 mg/kg).

References

External links

* Herbicides Ureas Chloroarenes {{fishkeeping-stub