Cyclobutrifluram is a multi-use pesticide which is mostly used as a nematicide. It is moderately soluble in water, very soluble in most organic solvents and is non-volatile. It can be persistent in soil systems under certain conditions - it degrades quicker in moist soils than in dry ones. It tends to demonstrate a low toxicity to humans or biodiversity.
Hazard alerts
The following Pesticide Hazard Tricolour (PHT) alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement. The alerts for Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are based on applying the FAO/WHO (Type 1) and the PAN (Type II) criteria to PPDB data. Further details on the HHP indicators are given in the tables below. Neither the PHT nor the HHP hazard alerts take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus they do not represent risk.
PHT: Environmental fate
PHT: Ecotoxicity
PHT: Human health
Highly Hazardous Pesticide
Environmental fate High alert: Persistent; GUS: High leachability
R11 Rule 11: Pesticide active ingredients that are environmentally persistent (where sediment phase only DT₅₀ => 90 days or water phase only DT₅₀ => 90 days or DT₅₀ (field) => 60 days (note lab values are used when field values are not available))
2103, first patent; 2020, introduction; 2025, first registered USA
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Syngenta AG
Example products using this active
Tymirium
Victrato
Trefinti Turf nematicide
Vaniva
Formulation and application details
Formulated as a suspension concentrate for application via soil treatment or as a seed treatment.
Commercial production
Cyclobutrifluram is produced through an industrial route that assembles its cyclobutyl-substituted benzamide framework and the heavily fluorinated aromatic system using a modular strategy designed to control regioselectivity and halogen-rich impurities. Commercial syntheses generally begin with preparation of the cyclobutylamine or cyclobutanol precursor, typically via controlled cyclobutane functionalisation, followed by conversion into the appropriate nucleophile for coupling. In parallel, the fluorinated aromatic fragment is built through selective halogenation and activation, often to an acid chloride or similarly reactive intermediate. The key assembly step is formation of the amide or related linkage between the activated aromatic unit and the cyclobutyl-derived fragment under anhydrous, base-mediated conditions that suppress rearrangements and over-acylation.
Impact on climate of production and use
-
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)
19
P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data
Moderate
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
500000
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Acetone
-
420000
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Methanol
-
390000
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Ethyl acetate
-
69000
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Octanol
-
Melting point (°C)
124.6
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
-
Boiling point (°C)
-
-
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
Flashpoint (°C)
-
-
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
1.58 X 1003
Calculated
-
Log P
3.2
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
High
Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
-
-
-
Data type
-
-
-
Density (g ml⁻¹)
1.4
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
-
-
-
-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)
6.2 X 10-03
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Low volatility
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
7.3 X 10-05
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
-
Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)
-
-
-
Degradation
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
General biodegradability
-
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)
DT₅₀ (typical)
23
P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data
Non-persistent
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
23
P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data
Non-persistent
DT₅₀ (field)
138
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Persistent
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
Australian dossier 2024: Lab study: DT₅₀ in moist soil = 14.7 days, in dry soil DT₅₀ 52.8 days. Field studies: DT₅₀ slow under dark aerobic conditions DT₅₀ range 27.1-248 days
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7
Value
18
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Slow
Note
DT₅₀ of 11 to 24 days under summer sunlight
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7
Value
Stable
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Stable
Note
Stable at pH4,7 & 9 at temps up to 70 °C
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)
697
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Stable
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Sediment phase only DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Air degradation
As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below.
Decay in stored produce DT₅₀
-
Soil adsorption and mobility
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Linear
Kd (mL g⁻¹)
-
-
-
Koc (mL g⁻¹)
-
Notes and range
-
Freundlich
Kf (mL g⁻¹)
6.46
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Moderately mobile
Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)
333
1/n
0.87
Notes and range
Australian dossier: Kf range 3.39-9.53 L/kg, Koc range 210-585 L/kg
pH sensitivity
Weak correlation with OC
Fate indices
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index
3.16
Calculated
High leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate
Value
4.12 X 10-01
Calculated
-
Note
-
Potential for particle bound transport index
Medium
Calculated
-
Potential for loss via drain flow
Moderately mobile
Calculated
-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk
1.73
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Calculated using the Atkinson method, 12 hr. EU trigger for long-range transport is DT₅₀ in air <2 days.
Below the level of concern for long-range air transport
Bio-concentration factor
BCF (l kg⁻¹)
-
-
-
CT₅₀ (days)
-
-
Known soil metabolites
Metabolite
Major/Minor fraction
Estimated maximum occurrence fraction
Notes
Ref: CGA177291
Major fraction
0.140
P5
Ref: EXC8199
Major fraction
0.115
P5
Known groundwater metabolites
None
Other known metabolites
Metabolite name and reference
Aliases
Formation medium / Rate
Estimated maximum occurrence fraction
Ref: SYN510260
-
Plant
-
trifluoroacetic acid
-
Plant
-
Ref: SYN510275
-
Rat; Animal; Plant
-
Ref: SYN549104
-
Plant; Animal
-
Ref: SYN552301
-
Plant
-
Ref: SYN552202
-
Plant
-
Ref: SYN510275
-
Plant
-
ECOTOXICOLOGY
Terrestrial ecotoxicology
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 5000
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Rat
Low
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 1264
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Colinus virginianus
Moderate
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)
-
-
-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ dw soil)
> 500
P5 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242