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Jones etal., 1991). In this respect, Molina et al. (1998) demonstrated that in Arabidopsis the innatedefense mechanism of the plant contributes to the effectiveness of various fungicides.D. PHYTOTOXICITYApart from the simple idea that a biocide should be specific in its target (a fungicide should be toxic for a fungus, an insecticide for an insect, etc.), only a few articles have been publishedon the issue of whether different chemical products alter or inhibit the physiological or metabolical activity of plants. In this sense, Bader and AbdelBasset (1999) showed for the first time that fungicides of the triforin type (saprol) strongly inhibit electrontransport reactions of , though effective fungicides, can bee phytotoxic, stunting plant growth and causing visible damage to seedlings (Marc et al., 1996). Some products, such asbenlate DF (benomyl), depress photosynthesis (Marc et al., 1996). Finally, carbendazim does not inhibit photosynthesis but does lower the levels of foliar calcium (Ca), promoting chlorosis in Petunia (Marc et al., 1996). In some cases the cause of the phytotoxicity of the fimgicide proved to be related to certain products resulting from the breakdown of the fungicide itself after penetration of the host cell and integration into the cell metabolism. Thus Marc et al.(1997) demonstrated that dybutylurea, a product of the breakdown ofbenomyl, can be particularly responsible for the phytotoxicity of the fungicide benlate DF. Other ingredients of the degradation of benlate also contribute to the phytotoxicity of the fungicide (Marc et al., 1997). To understand the effects of fungicides on the physiology of plants, Garcia et al. (2002) analyzed the manner in which the different concentrations of a fungicide affect biomass production,the content of pigments, and the levels of nutrients by foliar application in tobacco plants. The fungicide used in this experiment was carbendazim (carb) because it is one of the most extensively used fungicides in southeastern Spain, a zone with intensive agriculture, and because it is a broadspectrum preventive