Du Pont Co. said its profit dropped...

Du Pont Co. said its profit dropped 20% in the second quarter largely because of the recall of a fungicide that damaged crops.

The chemical giant reported earning $440 million or 65 cents a share in the April-June period, contrasted with $549 million or 81 cents a share in 1991.

The quarterly results included a previously announced one-time charge of $134 million or 20 cents per share for costs associated with the recall of the Benlate DF fungicide. Excluding the recall charge, the company said profits rose 3%. Sales for the quarter slipped to $9.9 billion from $10 billion.

Among DuPont’s divisions, petroleum earnings dropped 65%, the company said. The poor performance was due to a number of factors, including lower natural gas prices, DuPont said. Earnings were up 42% in chemicals, 22% in fibers and 76% in polymers.