chemistry

Metalaxyl

Metalaxyl is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Metalaxyl rather than just read about it. In short: Metalaxyl is an acylalanine fungicide with systemic function. Its chemical name is methyl N-(methoxyacetyl)-N-(2,6-xylyl)-DL-alaninate.

Key takeaways

Metalaxyl belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Metalaxyl to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Metalaxyl from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Metalaxyl is an acylalanine fungicide with systemic function. Its chemical name is methyl N-(methoxyacetyl)-N-(2,6-xylyl)-DL-alaninate. It can be used to control Pythium in a number of vegetable crops, and Phytophthora in peas. Metalaxyl-M is the ISO common name and Ridomil Gold is the trade name for the optically pure (-) / D / R active stereoisomer, which is also known as mefenoxam. It is the active ingredient in the seed treatment agent Apron XL LS. The fungicide has suffered severe resistance problems. The fungicide was marketed for use against Phytophthora infestans. However, in the summer of 1980, in the Republic of Ireland, the crop was devastated by a potato blight epidemic after a resistant race of the oomycete appeared. Irish farmers later successfully sued the company for their losses. Maximum pesticide residue limits for the EU/UK are set at 0.5 mg/kg for oranges and 1.0 mg/kg for apples. As early as 1998 Pythium was known to be widely developing resistance to metalaxyl which was the most effective control at the time. Various Pythium populations have been known to have resistance to mefenoxam since the 1980s and metalaxyl since 1984. There is wide variability in resistance/sensitivity between Pythium species, with some populations showing complete ineffectiveness.

Synthesis The first synthesis of metalaxyl was disclosed in patents filed by Ciba Geigy.

2,6-Xylidine is alkylated with methyl 2-bromopropionate to give an alanine derivative. This is further reacted with the acid chloride of methoxyacetic acid to yield racemic metalaxyl. The homochiral, single-isomer version of the chemical, which retains all its fungicidal activity, has been manufactured.

References

External links Metalaxyl in the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB) Metalaxyl-M in the Pesticide Properties DataBase (PPDB)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Metalaxyl

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Metalaxyl claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Metalaxyl before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Metalaxyl ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Metalaxyl

In research: Metalaxyl appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Metalaxyl in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Metalaxyl is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fungicides, Mycology stubs, Xylyl compounds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Metalaxyl outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Metalaxyl in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Metalaxyl means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Metalaxyl out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Metalaxyl in simple terms?

Metalaxyl is an acylalanine fungicide with systemic function. Its chemical name is methyl N-(methoxyacetyl)-N-(2,6-xylyl)-DL-alaninate.

Why does Metalaxyl matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Metalaxyl?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Metalaxyl.