A chemical compound was synthesized chloropicrin in 1848 a Scottish chemist John Stenhouse and first used in agriculture in 1920 for the treatment of soil of tomato diseases.

In the next decade, chloropicrin was used for the restoration of the pineapple plantations in Hawaii and to solve problems of soil fungi in California. Over time, the chloropicrin has become widely used as a fungicide, herbicide, insecticide and nematicide.

On potato chloropicrin was first tested in 1940 as a means of suppressing populations of wireworms, and then in 1965 to combat pathogens verticillata.

Then growers forgot about chloropicrin for many years, but now its popularity is growing again - and for good reason, according to Chad Hutchinson, Director of research, TriEst Ag Group, Inc..

Used in pre-treatment of the soil, chloropicrin inhibits pathogenic fungi contained in the earth, as well as some nematodes and insects.

With half-lives from several hours to a couple days, it is recycled in the soil before the crop is sown, which makes it safe and effective.

Contrary to popular belief, chloropicrin does not sterilize the soil and destroy the ozone layer, as the connection degrades under sunlight. In addition, chloropicrin was never detected in groundwater during the use of the substance.

According to Hutchinson, the plants grown in soil treated with chloropicrin, have a healthy root system that efficiently absorbs nutrients and moisture, so that potato yield increased significantly.

Hutchinson says about the ability of compounds to suppress many common pathogens, including the pathogen causing scab, and Verticillium species, Fusarium and Phytophthora.

The expert believes that the return of chloropicrin in protection system of potato will not only allow growers to increase yield, but will also improve the soil condition, because of the tendency to the preservation of soil fertility can be called a serious advantage against chloropicrin.
 

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