Evaluation of novel sulfonylurea derivatives with a fused heterocyclic moiety as paddy herbicides that control sulfonylurea-resistant weeds

Herbicidal activity and acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibition of sulfonylurea derivatives with a fused heterocyclic moiety bonded to a sulfonyl group were investigated. Some compounds that had an imidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazine moiety substituted at the 2‐position by chlorine or methyl controlled sulfonylurea‐resistant (SU‐R) weeds and showed inhibitory activity to ALS prepared from SU‐R Schoenoplectus juncoides shoot. There was a correlation between in vitro and whole‐plant herbicidal activity of the compounds mentioned above against SU‐R Schoenoplectus juncoides. Among them 1‐(2‐chloro‐6‐propylimidazo[1,2‐b]pyridazin‐3‐ylsulfonyl)‐3‐(4,6‐dimethoxypyrimidin‐2‐yl)urea, propyrisulfuron, was selected for further evaluation. Propyrisulfuron effectively controlled paddy weeds at doses of 70 and 140 g a.i. ha−1 with good rice selectivity in a field trial.