What is a fumigant?

Fumigant are gaseous pesticides used to destroy insects, nematodes and other pests that damage crops, seeds, plant stocks, stored products in agricultural areas.

 

 

 

Fumigants are applied by spraying the targeted area, crop or soil. This application process of fumigants is also called "fumigation".

 

 

 

The Latin word “fumus” meaning gas and smoke and the word “fumigatus” derived from the verb “agare” passed into Turkish as “fumigation”.

 

 

 

The first fumigation applications for agricultural purposes were made using carbon sulfide in 1897. Fumigants such as chlorpictin in 1907, ethylene oxide in 1927, and methyl bromide in 1932 were used against pests.

 

 

 

Fumigants used in soils are known as "nematocytes". These fumigants; Contains substances such as dichloropropane, propylene oxide, methyl bromide, dibromochloropropane, organophosphate pesticides and chloropicrin. These substances prevent the population, invasion and damage of "nematodes" that define hundreds of multicellular pests such as microscopic worms, insects, bacteria, fungi that occur in soils.

 

 

 

Many of the nematicides, which are soil fumigants, should be applied when there are no plants in the field, as they are phytotoxic.

 

 

 

There are many types of fumigants. Commonly, fumigant varieties with "aluminium" and "methyl bormide" substances are used. Dichlorvos effective preparations are chemicals known as "semi-fumigant". These fumigants are used in fumigation processes in various ways, depending on the condition of the products and the areas where they are located.

 

 

 

Fumigants used in closed areas; Contains chemicals such as hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen phosphide, ethyleneoxide, methyl bromide, naphthalene, nicotine, acrylonitrile, carbon disulfide, paradichlorobenzene, sulfur dioxide and sulfuryl fluoride.

 

 

 

Methyl bromide and phosphine gas are used in the fight against stored product pests in our country, as in the world, but according to the United Nations Montreal protocol, methylbromide is planned to be removed from use in 2005 in developed countries and in 2015 in developing countries.

 

 

 

In our country, methyl bromide is a fumigant that has been discontinued as of 2008 (excluding quarantine and pre-loading applications).

 

 

 

Therefore, the only remaining fumigant is licensed as a formulation containing aluminum or magnesium phosphite, which has been used since the 1930s. Although the mechanism of action of phosphine gas has not been fully explained, it is reported to affect mitochondrial respiration.

 

 

 

Because fumigants can be extremely dangerous to human skin and warm-blooded animals, they should be applied to crops by experienced professionals with the appropriate equipment. The most common fumigants used are hydrogen phosphate or hydrogen cyanide (HCN), methyl bromide and ethylene compounds. Fumigants applied before planting are effective against plant pathogens, root diseases and weeds. It is recommended to apply in suitable weather conditions to prevent fumigants from going to unwanted areas during application.