The safening activity of dymron [1‐(α,α‐dimethylbenzyl)‐3‐(p‐tolyl)urea]
and fenclorim [4,6‐dichloro‐2‐phenylpyrimidine] on the phytotoxic activity of pretilachlor
[2‐chloro‐2′,6′‐diethyl‐N‐(2‐propoxyethyl)acetanilide] on rice seedlings was examined in both water and soil culture. The safening activity of fenclorim in water culture was greater than that of dymron, whereas the activity of fenclorim in soil was lower than that of dymron. The fenclorim concentration in soil water was lower than that of dymron at all times when determined after the application at the same concentrations. The phytotoxic activity of pretilachlor and the safening activities of dymron and fenclorim were well correlated with the concentration of each in soil water but not with the amount in total soil. The adsorption of fenclorim on soil solids was greater than those of dymron and pretilachlor. It was suggested that both the phytotoxic activity of pretilachlor and the safening activities of dymron and fenclorim were dependent on their concentrations in soil water, which were primarily dominated by the adsorption on soil.