Influence of rainfall distribution on simulations of atrazine, metolachlor, and isoxaflutole/metabolite transport in subsurface drained fields

This research investigated the impact of modeling atrazine, metolachlor, and isoxaflutole/metabolite transport in artificially subsurface drained sites with temporally discrete rainfall data. Differences in considering rainfall distribution are unknown in regard to estimating agrochemical fluxes in the subsurface. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) simulated pesticide fate and transport at three subsurface drained sites: metolachlor/atrazine field experiment in Baton Rouge, LA (1987), and two isoxaflutole/metabolite field experiments in Allen County and Owen County, Indiana (2000). The modeling assumed linear, equilibrium sorption based on average reported physicochemical and environmental fate properties. Assumed rainfall intensity and duration influenced transport by runoff more than transport by subsurface drainage. As the importance of macropore flow increased, the necessity for using temporally discrete rainfall data became more critical. Long-term simulations indicated no significant difference between average or upper percentile (i.e., <2% difference in percent loss as a function of mass applied) atrazine, metolachlor, or isoxaflutole/metabolite loss through subsurface drainage among the three different rainfall assumptions. It was necessary (i.e., within 7% of predicted loss) to use hourly or average duration storm events as opposed to daily rainfall data for total (i.e., runoff and subsurface drainage) pesticide loss over the long term.