Soil fumigation with methyl bromide: the uptake and distribution of inorganic bromide in tomato plants

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Abstract
SUMMARY: Tomato plants grown in soil previously fumigated with methyl bromide accumulated inorganic bromide in the foliage. The concentration present depended on the rate of application of methyl bromide to the soil and on the interval between, soil fumigation and planting, two factors determining the concentration in the soil of inorganic bromide arising from the breakdown of the fumigant.The concentration of bromide in the leaves decreased from the base to the tip of the plant, and increased with the age of the tissue.Bromide was accumulated in the fruit, but to a lesser extent than in the leaves. Mature fruit from plants grown in soil fumigated at the commercially applied rate of 1.5 lb/100 ft2 (73 g/m2) contained at the most 45 μg/g of fresh tissue, and generally not more than half this value. The concentration of bromide in fruit was related to the concentration of inorganic bromide present in the soil, but not to the state of ripeness or the position of the fruit on the plant.Similar results were obtained for leaves and fruit from plants grown in soil supplemented with inorganic bromide.