Irnidazole, an antimetabolite of histamine and nicotinic acid, has been found to be a safe and effective pesticide and is now undergoing field tests. Developed at U.C., Los Angeles, the new material has been patented and given the trade name "lrnutex." Imidazole, when synergized with boric acid, may be employed at low levels to proof fabric satisfactorily against insect attack. When synergized with 2-Aminopyridine, along with several newer synergists, and combined with base oil, imidazole is capable of controlling a number of insects and related arthropod species. Effectiveness is significantly increased by adding two surfactants to base oil. A hydrophilic surfactant increases the physiological activity of imidazole without improving the physical properties of the oil carrier, while perchloroethylene directly increases solubility. The particularly exciting quality about the material is its low mammalian toxicity. H E METABOLIC EFFECTS of antime-T tabolites within the systems of fabric-feeding insects have been studied for the last six years. Some of these compounds, when formulated in suitable lipidsoluble carriers, have recently been found to perform as effective contact pesticides in addition to their already proven metabolic values. One of the most promising of the antimetabolites is imidazole (glyoxaline or 1,3-diazole), which has an extremely low mammalian toxicity. Antimetabolites closely resemble a vitamin or other growth substance in chemical structure but, by design, are slightly altered in their manufacture. Per-CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE Progress Reports of Agricultural Research priblished monthly by the University of Cali! fornia Division of Agricultural Sciences.
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