The chemical is manufactured and distributed in the United States, Israel, United Kingdom,

Ireland, Germany, Greece, Yugoslavia, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Japan and France.

 Methyl bromide is sold in various formulations. These can range from 100% methyl

bromide to a mixed formulations with various proportions of chloropicrin. Due to the odorless

characteristic of methyl bromide, low concentrations of chloropicrin (2 percent) are used as a

marker for detection of escaping methyl bromide fumes (Noling, 1993b). Combined with methyl

bromide, chloropicrin at higher concentrations (such as 33%) serves to enhance fungicidal

activity to aide in the control of soilborne diseases.

 When used for treatment of grain storage structures, buildings, ships, cargos, and other

listed structures, methyl bromide is effective as an acaricide and rodenticide. Some of the pests

controlled include granary weevils, cockroaches, and beetles. When the chemical is used in crop

production, it is considered a nematicide, fungicide, insecticide and herbicide. Important

nematodes controlled by methyl bromide include root knot and stubby root nematode (Overman

and Jones, 1980). Examples of diseases that methyl bromide controls are Fusarium,

Verticillium, Rhizoctonia and Pythium. Insects controlled include wireworm and grubs. As a

herbicide, methyl bromide is important in the control of many different weeds such as nutsedge,

pigweed and nightshade.



Historical Overview

Development and Use of the Chemical

 "Old land disease", a well documented phenomenon in tomato production, is caused by

the increase in pests such as weeds, nematodes, and plant pathogens due to continuous mono-

cropping of the same land year after year. The population of pests unique to these crops builds

up in the soil over a period of time. When additional land is available, farmers can rotate to

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