What Kind of Pesticide Is Ethylicin? Characteristics and How to Use It

Ethylicin, also known as antibacterial agent 402, is an organosulfur fungicide developed based on allicin from garlic. It has a relatively broad fungicidal spectrum, inhibiting a wide range of fungal and bacterial diseases, and it also has some effect in stimulating crop growth. Ethylicin has low toxicity and breaks down easily in the environment, making it a long-established fungicide that has been promoted for many years.

In agricultural production, ethylicin is often used for seed treatment and field spraying. Seed soaking and seed dressing can control many seed-borne and soil-borne diseases, such as rice bakanae disease, cotton seedling diseases, and sweet potato black rot; spraying can be used to control common diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew, and bacterial angular leaf spot. When using it, dilute to the recommended concentration according to the product label; too high a concentration can easily cause phytotoxicity to seeds and seedlings.

Note that ethylicin decomposes and loses effectiveness easily under alkaline conditions, so it must not be mixed with alkaline agents such as lime sulfur mixture or Bordeaux mixture, nor should it be applied at the same time as alkaline fertilizers. The spray solution is best prepared and used immediately, and should not be stored for a long time. It has a pungent odor similar to garlic, so personal protection should be worn when preparing and applying it, avoiding contact of the solution with skin and eyes.

During storage, it should be kept in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place, away from food and feed, and properly secured to prevent accidental ingestion. As a fungicide with a broad control range and low cost, ethylicin still has good application value in seed treatment and field disease control today, as long as it is scientifically combined and used according to standards.