The ability of the soil fungus Rhizoctonia solani to degrade phenyl-substituted urea herbicides was investigated. The fungus was able to transform chlorbromuron [3-(3-chloro-4-bromophenyl)-1-methyl-1-methoxyurea] to the demethylated product [3-(3-chloro-4-bromophenyl)-1-methoxyurea], which was isolated and identified. Evidence was obtained that further degradation of chlorbromuron occurred. Several other phenylurea compounds (chloroxuron, diuron, fenuron, fluometuron, linuron, metobromuron,

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... ron, and siduron) were also metabolized by the fungus, indicating that R. solani may possess a generalized ability to attack this group of herbicides. on May 7, 2020 by guest http://aem.asm.org/ Downloaded from