this invention is directed to the use of s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate as a selective herbicide for use on sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage crops . sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage show a high degree of tolerance to s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate . the above herbicidal compound and those to which it is compared can be prepared by the general methods described in thiolcarbamates -- preparation and molar refractions , american chemical society , 81 , 714 ( 1959 ). the thiocarbamate compounds are known herbicides and their method of synthesis is well known . see u . s . pat . nos . 2 , 913 , 327 , 2 , 983 , 747 , 3 , 133 , 927 , 3 , 175 , 897 , and 3 , 185 , 720 , for example . however , in general the thiocarbamates produce unacceptable injury to sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage . therefore , it is quite unexpected to discover the high degree degree of tolerance exhibited toward s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate . it has been discovered that s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate is particularly effective in control of nutsedge and other weeds . this is particularly unexpected in that extremely close prior art homologs show no such superior control . the compound of the present invention can be prepared according to the teaching of the following example . a sodium dispersion in xylene was prepared by blending 75 grams ( g ) of finely divided sodium into 300 g ( 345 cubic centimeters ( cc )) of anhydrous xylene . the experimental equipment was an argon - flushed 1 liter , 4 - neck flask provided with a truebone stirrer , constant pressure dropping funnel air condenser and thermometer . anhydrous xylene ( 100 cc ) and 18 . 2 cc ( 0 . 119 mole ) of the sodium dispersion was added to the reaction flask producing a purplishhued dispersion . n - butyl mercaptan ( 13 . 4 g , 0 . 149 mole ) dissolved in 25 cc of xylene was added to the flask over a period of 4 . 5 minutes while the temperature of reaction mixture rose from 35 ° c . to 76 ° c . the reaction mixture was heated to reflux and 19 . 5 g ( 0 . 119 mole ) of diisopropylcarbamyl chloride was reacted with the reaction mixture over 7 . 5 minutes . the resultant reaction mixture was then heated at reflux for 1 . 5 hours , cooled and allowed to stand for 2 days . the mixture was then filtered through super - cell . the filter cake was washed with 25 cc of toluene and the filtrate combined and evaporated on a steam bath to produce 25 . 4 g of a liquid . the fraction from 142 ° c . to 143 . 5 ° c . was recovered as product . the product was 17 . 72 g of a liquid having an n d 30 of 1 . 4753 . yield was 68 . 6 % of theoretical of the title compound . the structure was confirmed by infrared spectrascopy . this compound will be referred to as compound no . 1 . compound no . 1 was comparatively tested with other thiocarbamate herbicides for selectively controlling watergrass [ echnichloa crusgalli ( l .) beauv . ], foxtail ( seteria sp . ), johnsongrass ( sorghum halepense ), wild cane ( sorghum bicolor ), and nutsedge ( cyperus spp .) by pre - emergent application on these weeds and sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage . the additional herbicides tested are s - tert - butyl n , n - dipropyl thiocarbamate , described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 913 , 327 ( compound no . 2 ) and s - n - propyl n , n - di - n - butyl thiocarbamate , described in u . s . pat . no . 2 , 913 , 327 ( compound no . 3 ). a mini field test carried out in which compounds 1 , 2 , and 3 were pre - plant incorporated ( ppi ) at 6 lb / a approximately 3 inches deep in a loam soil and two rows of yellow nutsedge tubers were planted 1 inch apart and 1 . 5 inches deep through the plots which werew 11 feet long and 4 feet wide . compound no . 1 was also applied ppi at 3 lb / a . each plot also contained four rows of cotton planted 1 . 5 inch deep and rows of yellow foxtail , watergrass , johnsongrass , wild cane , sugarbeets , cabbage and carrots , planted 0 . 5 inch deep . the results taken 3 weeks after treatment are shown in table i . the percent control of the weeds is based on the total injury to the plants due to all factors of injury . the rating system is from 0 to 100 percent , where the value represents percent control . for example , 0 represents no herbicidal effect with growth equal to untreated controls and 100 represents complete control . the results are reported in table i . table i__________________________________________________________________________ % injury or control 21 days after treatmentcomp . rate nut - yellow water - johnson wild sugarno . ( lb / a ) grass foxtail grass grass cane beets carrots cabbage__________________________________________________________________________1 3 58 70 90 60 35 0 0 0 6 100 90 97 85 40 0 10 02 6 40 90 94 95 90 0 0 1003 6 50 80 70 90 94 90 30 90__________________________________________________________________________ the compound of the present invention is useful as an herbicide , especially as a pre - emergence herbicide , and can be applied in a variety of ways at various concentrations . the compound is applied to the soil where control of undesirable vegetation is desired . preferably , the pre - emergence application is made a day or two before planting of the sugarbeets , carrots , cabbage or crop , on the data of planting or a day or two after planting of the sugarbeets , carrots or cabbage . in the preferred practice , the compound herein defined is formulatd into herbicidal compositions , by admixture , in herbicidally effective amounts , with the adjuvants and carriers normally employed for facilitating the dispersion of active ingredients for agricultural applications , recognizing the fact that the formulation and mode of application of a toxicant may affect the activity of the material in a given application . thus , the active herbicidal compound may be formulated as granules of relatively large particle size , as wettable powders , as emulsifiable concentrates , as powdery dusts , as solutions or as any of several other known types of formulations , depending upon the desired mode of application . preferred formulations of pre - emergence herbicidal applications are wettable powders , emulsifiable concewntrates and granules . these formulations may contain as little as about 0 . 5 % to as much as about 95 % or more by weight of active ingredient . crop injury and herbicidal effectiveness depends upon several factors , including the nature of the soil where control is desired and the types of seeds or plants to be controlled . therefore , the rate of which dispersion readily in water or other dispersants . the wettable powder is ultimately applied to the soil either as a dry dust or as a dispersion in water or other liquid . typical carriers for wettable powders include fuller &# 39 ; s earth , kaolin clays , silicas and other readily wet organic or inorganic diluents . wettable powders normally are prepared to contain about 5 % to about 95 % of the active ingredient and usually also contain a small amount of wetting , dispersing , or emulsifying agent to facilitate wetting and dispersion . emulsifiable concentrates are homogeneous liquid compositions which are dispersible in water or other dispersant , and may consist entirely of the active compound with a liquid or solid emulsifying agent , or may also contain a liquid carrier , such as xylene , heavy aromatic naphthas , isophorone and other non - volatile organic solvents . for herbicidal application , these concentrates are dispersed in water or other liquid carrier and normally applied as a spray to the area to be treated . the percentage by weight of the essential active ingredient may vary according to the manner in which the composition is to be applied , but in general comprises about 0 . 5 % to 95 % of active ingredient by weight of the herbicidal composition . granular formulations wherein the toxicant is carried on relatively coarse particles , are usually applied without dilution to the area in whih suppression of vegetation is desired . typical carriers for granular formulations include sand , fuller &# 39 ; s earth , bentonite clays , vermiculite , perlite and other organic or inorganic materials which absorb or which may be coated with the toxicant . granular formulations normally are prepared to contain about 5 % to about 25 % of active ingredients which may include surface - active agents such as heavy aromatic naphthas , kerosene or other petroleum fractions , or vegetable oils ; and / or stickers such as destrins , glue or synthetic resins . typical wetting , dispersing or emulsifying agents used in agricultural formulations include , for example , the alkyl and alkylaryl sulfonates and sulfates and their sodium salts ; polyhydric alcohols ; and other types of surface - active agents , many of which are available in commerce . the surface - active agent , when used , normally comprises from 0 . 1 % to 15 % by weight of the herbicidal composition . dusts , which are free - flowing admixtures of the active ingredients with finely divided solids such as talc , clays , flours and other organic and inorganic solids which act as dispersants and carriers for the toxicant , are useful formulations for soil - incorporating application . pastes , which are homogeneous suspensions of a finely divided solid toxicant in a liquid carrier such as water or oil , are employed for specific purposes . these formulations normally contain about 5 % to about 95 % of active ingredient by weight , and may also contain small amounts of a wetting , dispersing or emulsifying agent to facilitate dispersion . for application , the pastes are normaly diluted and applied as a spray to the area to be affected . other useful formulations for herbicidal applications include simple solutions of the active ingredient in a dispersant in which it is completely soluble at the desired concentration , such as acetone , alkylated naphthalenes , xylene and other organic solvents . pressurized sprays , typically aerosols , wherein the active ingredient is dispersed in finely divided form as a result of vaporization of a low boiling dispersant solvent carrier , such as the freons , may also be used . the phytotoxic compositions of this invention are applied to the plants in the conventional manner . thus , the dust and liquid compositions can be applied to the plant by the use of power - dusters , boom and hand sprayers and spray dusters . the compositions can also be applied from airplanes as a dust or a spray because they are effective in very low dosages . in order to modify or control growth of germinating seeds or emerging seedlings , as a typical example , the dust and liquid compositions are applied to the soil according to conventional methods and are distributed in the soil to a depth of at least 1 / 2 inch below the soil surface . it is not necessary that the phytotoxic compositions be admixed with the soil particles since these compositions can also be applied merely by spraying or sprinkling the surface of the soil . the phytotoxic compositions of this invention can also be applied by addition to irrigation water supplied to the field to be treated . this method of application permits the penetration of the compositions into the soil as the water is absorbed therein . dust compositions , granular compositions or liquid formulations applied to the surface of the soil can be distributed below the surface of the soil by conventional means such as discing , dragging or mixing operations . the herbicide can also be applied in the crop furrow or it can be applied by injection along - side the crop and furrow in rows spaced several inches from the seed .
s - n - butyl - n , n - diisopropyl thiocarbamate which has the structural formula ## str1 ## which is useful as a selective herbicide in sugarbeets , carrots and cabbage .