Plant Pathology Department, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture &; Technology, Pantnagar, India
*Present Address: Plant Quarantine Unit. 1CRISAT, ICR1SAT Patancheru P. O. A. P.
Degradation and persistence of Mertect (2-(4-thiazolyl) benzimidazole) (TBZ) known to be effective against Cercospora leaf spot cf sugarbeet was studied in sugarbeet seedlings. Thin layer chromatograms developed with silver nitrate bromphenol blue was found to be a reliable method for degradation and persistence studies. One of the degraded product of Mertect with Rf 0.2 was similar to the standard Mertect which may probably cause the fungitoxicity. Mertect Could be detected in sugarbeet seedlings upto 100 days in its least detectable quantity of 0.03 μg by this method. Mertect sprayed at the rate of 600 PPM (a. i.) was detected at the quantities of 3 μg and 0.6 μg after 6 and 66 days respectively.
