Abstract: A more effective weed control method is provided for a case where soil treatment with pyroxasulfone is carried out. The present invention provides a weed control method in which treatment with columnar crystals of pyroxasulfone is carried out for soil with a composition having a clay content of less than 15% and a sand content of not less than 65%.

Abstract: Embodiments provide a pest control agent that is excellent in safety, controlling effect, residual activity, and so on. According to an embodiment, there is provided a pyrazole derivative represented by general formula [I], or an agriculturally acceptable salt thereof, and a pest control agent containing the same as an active ingredient: wherein, p represents an integer of 0 or 1, R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 represent a hydrogen atom, halogen atom, C1-C6 alkyl group, or the like, A represents an oxygen atom or sulfur atom, Q represents a halogen atom, C6-C10 aryl group that is unsubstituted or substituted with (R8)m, or the like, and R6 and R7 represent a hydrogen atom, C1-C6 alkyl group, or the like.

Abstract: This invention is intended to identify a gene cluster involved in biosynthesis of a cyclic peptide compound produced by a filamentous fungus of the Curvularia species and to establish a system for synthesizing such cyclic peptide compound. The gene is composed of a first module to a tenth module and encodes a protein having activity of synthesizing a nonribosomal peptide constituting a basic peptide backbone of a cyclic peptide compound produced by a filamentous fungus of the Curvularia species.

Abstract: The present invention provides an industrially desirable production method for a sulfone derivative that is useful as a herbicide, and an intermediate thereof.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to identify an enzyme having activity of synthesizing dihydrotentoxin that is a tentoxin precursor and an enzyme having activity of synthesizing tentoxin using dihydrotentoxin as a substrate. The present invention concerns a tentoxin synthesis-related gene encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 16 and having activity of nonribosomal peptide synthesis of dihydrotentoxin and a tentoxin synthesis-related gene encoding a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 18 and having activity of converting dihydrotentoxin to tentoxin.

Abstract: A more effective weed control method is provided for a case where soil treatment with pyroxasulfone is carried out. The present invention provides a weed control method in which treatment with needle crystals of pyroxasulfone is carried out for soil with a composition having a clay content of not less than 15% or a sand content of less than 65%.

Abstract: Provided herein is a culturing method for bacteria of the genus Rhizobium whereby a low viscosity can be maintained in a culture solution during the culturing of and at the end of culturing of said bacteria, and that enables easy and efficient post-procedures, including concentration and separation of viable bacteria, among others. This is achieved by growing Rhizobium bacteria by liquid culture using a medium containing a disaccharide (for example, maltose, trehalose, lactose, sucrose) accounting for at least 25 mass % of the carbon source in the medium while maintaining a pH of 5.0 to 7.0 in the culture solution throughout the course of the culture, namely from the beginning of the culturing to the end of the culturing of said bacteria.

Abstract: Provided are a methane-production inhibitor capable of inhibiting methane production for a long period of time, and a method for inhibiting methane production using the composition. A methane-production inhibitor composition contains one or more compounds selected from compounds represented by formula [I] as an effective ingredient, and a method for inhibiting methane production uses the composition. (In formula [I], X represents an —OR1 group, a hydroxyl group, or a halogen atom, Y represents an —OR2 group or an —SO2R3 group, R1 represents a benzoyl group, R2 represents a methylsulfonyl group or a chloromethylsulfonyl group, and R3 represents a chloromethyl group or a hydroxymethyl group.

Abstract: The objective of the present invention is to provide a production method for a 4,5-dihydroisoxazole represented by formula (3), which is safe, industrially desirable, economical, and environmentally friendly. The present invention causes the compound of formula (1) to react with hydroxylamine in the presence of an acid catalyst to produce the compound of formula (3) through the reaction represented by the reaction equation.

Abstract: This invention provides a nucleic acid that enables evaluation of various endocrine disrupting actions of a very small amount of endocrine disrupting chemicals with high sensitivity. Such nucleic acid comprises a total of 20 to 60 nucleotides comprising the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 and shows excellent responsiveness to various endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Abstract: Metabolic activity is exhibited against a larger number of compounds having different acting properties. A cytochrome P450 gene encodes a protein having an amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NOS: 2, 4, 6, and 8.

Abstract: A soil-borne plant disease control agent that can be safely used as a biopesticide. The active component of the control agent includes viable bacteria of novel strains of Bacillus and Fictibacillus, or a culture of these bacteria. The soil-borne plant disease control agent is a vegetable wilt control agent. The plant disease control agent can be applied (sprayed) to stems and leaves to control a bacterial wilt disease caused by soil bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum species complex, and/or bacterial soft rots. A plant disease control method.

Abstract: Provided are a methane-production inhibitor capable of inhibiting methane production for a long period of time, and a method for inhibiting methane production using the composition. A methane-production inhibitor composition contains one or more compounds selected from compounds represented by formula [I] as an effective ingredient, and a method for inhibiting methane production uses the composition. (In formula [I], X represents an —OR1 group, a hydroxyl group, or a halogen atom, Y represents an —OR2 group or an —SO2R3 group, R1 represents a benzoyl group, R2 represents a methylsulfonyl group or a chloromethylsulfonyl group, and R3 represents a chloromethyl group or a hydroxymethyl group.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for producing a lyophilized composition of viable cells of Rhizobium bacteria having high viable cell viability, and a lyophilized composition of viable cells of Rhizobium bacteria having desirable long-storage survivability, among others. The lyophilized composition of viable cells of Rhizobium bacteria having high viable cell viability and desirable long-storage survivability can be obtained when a composition containing viable cells of Rhizobium bacteria and more than 10 mass % moisture is lyophilized to bring the moisture content to 10 mass %, and the drying is ended before the moisture content becomes less than 5 mass % so that the composition after the lyophilization contains the viable bacteria and 5 to 10 mass % of moisture.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a 3-alkoxybenzamide derivative having an excellent pest control effect, or a salt thereof; and a pest control agent and a production intermediate which contain the same as an active ingredient. Provided are: a 3-alkoxybenzamide derivative represented by general formula [I] [In the formula, A represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom, G represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a C1-C6 alkyl group, le represents a C1-C6 alkyl group, a C3-C6 cycloalkyl group, etc., R2 represents a hydrogen atom, etc., R3 represents a halogen atom, C1-C6 alkyl group, etc., R4 represents a halogen atom, C1-C6 alkyl group, etc., and R5 represents a C1-C12 alkyl group, etc.], or a salt thereof; and a pest control agent characterized by containing said derivative or salt thereof as an active ingredient.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide: an aqueous suspension agrochemical composition having a good storage stability, with which an increase in the viscosity of a formulation can be inhibited even when the composition contains a high concentration of pyroxasulfone; and a process of spraying the same. The present invention provides: an aqueous suspension agrochemical composition containing: pyroxasulfone; an acrylic graft copolymer; an alcohol alkoxylate; and a lignin sulfonate, in which composition the alcohol alkoxylate contains a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether; and a process of spraying an aqueous suspension agrochemical composition, the process including spraying the above-described aqueous suspension agrochemical composition to a field where agricultural/horticultural plants grow.

Abstract: The present invention provides industrially preferable processes for producing a sulfone derivative useful as a herbicide and an intermediate thereof. Provided are a process for producing a compound of the formula (4), comprising the following step ii: (step ii) a step of reacting a compound of the formula (2) with a compound of the formula (3) in the presence of a base to produce the compound of the formula (4), and a process for producing a compound of the formula (5), comprising the following step iii: (step iii) a step of reacting the compound of the formula (4) with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of a metal catalyst to produce the compound of the formula (5).

Abstract: The present invention is aimed at providing a weed control method and a mixed agrochemical composition for soil treatment, which, in a soil treatment of farmland with pyroxasulfone, not only can inhibit or reduce crop injury caused by absorption into cultivated crops, without being influenced by heavy rainfall, soil type, seeding depth and the like, but also are effective against a wide range of weed species. The weed control method includes a soil treatment step of performing a soil treatment on farmland with an agrochemical composition for soil treatment, which contains pyroxasulfone, and with a protoporphyrinogen oxidase inhibitor, simultaneously or sequentially, the method being characterized in that the agrochemical composition for soil treatment further contains a masking substance that masks the pyroxasulfone, and the pyroxasulfone is microencapsulated in or coated with the masking substance.

Abstract: The present invention is aimed at providing: an agrochemical composition for soil treatment which, in a soil treatment of farmland with pyroxasulfone, not only can inhibit or reduce crop injury caused by absorption into cultivated crops, without being influenced by heavy rainfall, soil type, seeding depth and the like, but also is highly safe and has a broad herbicidal spectrum; and a pest control method using the agrochemical composition. The agrochemical composition for soil treatment contains pyroxasulfone and a masking substance that masks the pyroxasulfone, in which the pyroxasulfone is microencapsulated in or coated with the masking substance.

Abstract: A method for producing a nitroso compound of the following formula (3), comprising reacting a compound of the following formula (1) with a compound of the following formula (2) by using a tertiary alcohol and a base. wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, and R9 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a (C1-C4) alkyl, or a (C1-C4) alkoxy.