Effects of soil storage on the microbial community and degradation of metsulfuron-methyl

The effect storage had on the microbial biomass in two soils (Trevino and Fargo) was compared to the effect storage had on each soil's capacity to degrade metsulfuron-methyl. Soils were collected from the field and used fresh (<3 weeks old) or stored at 20 and 4 degrees C for 3 or 6 months. The phospholipid fatty acid content of the soils was used to monitor changes in the microbial biomass during storage and incubation in a flow-through apparatus. In both soils, [phenyl-U-14C]metsulfuron-methyl was used to monitor changes in the route and rate of degradation along with 14CO2 evolution (mineralization). Total microbial biomasses in both soils were significantly reduced for soils incubated in the flow-through apparatus, whereas only the Trevino soil's microbial biomass was significantly reduced as a result of storage. The microbial communities of both soils were significantly different as a result of storage as shown by discriminant analysis. In both soils, degradation rate, pathway of degradation, and mineralization of metsulfuron-methyl were significantly affected by storage compared to fresh soil. The half-life of metsulfuron-methyl increased significantly (P < 0.05) in the Trevino soil from 45 days (fresh) to 63 days (stored soil), whereas in the Fargo soil half-lives increased significantly (P < 0.05) from 23 days (fresh) to 29 days (soils stored for 6 months). In both soils, mineralization of [14C]metsulfuron-methyl was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in fresh soils compared to stored soils. The degradation pathways of metsulfuron-methyl changed with storage as evidenced by the loss of formation of one biologically derived metabolite (degradate) in stored soils compared to fresh soils.     

Metabolism and persistence of atrazine in several field soils with different atrazine application histories

To assess the potential occurrence of accelerated herbicide degradation in soils, the mineralization and persistence of (14)C-labeled and nonlabeled atrazine was evaluated over 3 months in two soils from Belgium (BS, atrazine-treated 1973-2008; BC, nontreated) and two soils from Germany (CK, atrazine-treated 1986-1989; CM, nontreated). Prior to the experiment, accelerated solvent extraction of bulk field soils revealed atrazine (8.3 and 15.2 μg kg(-1)) in BS and CK soils and a number of metabolites directly after field sampling, even in BC and CM soils without previous atrazine treatment, by means of LC-MS/MS analyses. For atrazine degradation studies, all soils were incubated under different moisture conditions (50% maximum soil water-holding capacity (WHC(max))/slurried conditions). At the end of the incubation, the (14)C-atrazine mineralization was high in BS soil (81 and 83%) and also unexpectedly high in BC soil (40 and 81%), at 50% WHC(max) and slurried conditions, respectively. In CK soil, the (14)C-atrazine mineralization was higher (10 and 6%) than in CM soil (4.7 and 2.7%), but was not stimulated by slurried conditions. The results revealed that atrazine application history dramatically influences its degradation and mineralization. For the incubation period, the amount of extractable atrazine, composed of residues from freshly applied atrazine and residues from former field applications, remained significantly greater (statistical significance = 99.5 and 99.95%) for BS and CK soils, respectively, than the amount of extractable atrazine in the bulk field soils. This suggests that (i) mostly freshly applied atrazine is accessible for a complex microbial community, (ii) the applied atrazine is not completely mineralized and remains extractable even in adapted soils, and (iii) the microbial atrazine-mineralizing capacity strongly depends on atrazine application history and appears to be conserved on long time scales after the last application.     

Terrestrial field dissipation of diclosulam at four sites in the United States.

The soil dissipation of diclosulam was studied using 14C-labeled and nonradiolabeled material in Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, and Illinois between 1994 and 1997. The test substance was preemergence broadcast applied at target rates of 35 and 37 g ai x ha(-1) for the 14C-labeled and the nonradiolabeled studies, respectively. The degradation of diclosulam was rapid with half-lives ranging from 13 to 43 days at the four sites. Rapid degradation rates and the increasing sorption to soil over time resulted in low persistence and mobility of this compound. Metabolite formation and dissipation in the field reflected observations of photolysis, hydrolysis, and aerobic soil metabolism studies in the laboratory. The rapid field dissipation rates, metabolite formation patterns, and sorption characteristics obtained in these field studies were consistent with the laboratory data generated for diclosulam, and reflect the multiple concurrent degradation mechanisms occurring in the field.     

肯尼亚水稻土和甘蔗地土壤中~(14)C-六氯苯和~(14)C-滴滴涕的自然消解

氯代持久性有机污染物的农田土壤污染呈现污染浓度低、面积大、新源污染不断输入的特点。农田土壤本身微生物种类丰富,对氯代有机污染物具有较大的降解潜力和未知性。本试验以典型高氯代和低氯代持久性有机污染物——六氯苯(HCB)和滴滴涕(DDT)为研究对象,结合~(14)C同位素示踪技术,研究HCB和DDT在热带水稻土和甘蔗地土壤的矿化现象,同时监测HCB和DDT在两种土壤中的挥发、降解产物以及结合残留。结果表明,经84 d好氧培养,HCB和DDT在两种土壤中的矿化量分别仅为0.14%和3%,低氯代有机污染物DDT的矿化速率显著高于高氯代有机污染物HCB。然而,两种土壤对HCB或DDT的矿化没有显著性差异。HCB或DDT在水稻土中的挥发量略微高于甘蔗地土壤,两种土壤中HCB和DDT的挥发量在0.1%~0.6%之间,表明挥发不是其主要的环境过程。在DDT污染水稻土和甘蔗地土壤中添加1.25%的堆肥增加了DDT在土壤中的矿化与结合残留,减少了DDT的挥发。本研究结果表明土壤在好氧条件下对氯代持久性有机污染物的自然消解能力非常弱,而有机肥的使用有助于土壤中持久性氯代有机污染物的矿化消除。     

Persistence, fate, and metabolism of [(14)C]metalaxyl in typical Indian soils

The biodegradation of ring-labeled [(14)C]metalaxyl in six Indian soils was examined. The total recovery of radioactivity from soil was 100 +/- 6% of the applied radioactivity. Volatile organics and (14)CO(2) were detected at lower levels. This suggests that neither mineralization nor volatilization is a major route of metalaxyl dissipation. The most rapid degradation of metalaxyl was observed in Bannimantap soil, in which the half-life of metalaxyl was 36 days. An inverse relationship was found when half-lives were plotted against microbial biomass and soil clay content. However, soil total organic carbon did not correlate with metalaxyl persistence. Five metabolites detected by thin-layer chromatography were more polar than metalaxyl.     

EFFECTS OF METALS ON THE MICROBIAL MINERALIZATION OF ORGANIC ACIDS

The effects of chemical speciation on mineralization of organic compounds was studied using citric acid as a model substance. The degradation of¹⁴C-labeled Al-, Co-, Cu-, and Zn-citrate was followed in chemically well-defined media inoculated with mixed cultures of microorganisms (soil extracts from two soils). The degradation of citrate was completely inhibited when the acid was bound to Zn, Cu, or Co and partly inhibited when bound to Al. The mineralization of citrate as well as histidine was also followed by incubation of the complexes (Cu, Zn, Al) in the two soils. No effect of metals on the degradation of histidine was seen. The degradation of citrate in soils was also unaffected when complexed to Cu and Zn, whereas Al exerted an inhibited decomposition in both soils.     

How increasing availabilities of carbon and nitrogen affect atrazine behaviour in soils

 The effect of increasing amounts of glucose and mineral N on the behaviour of atrazine was studied in two soils. One had been exposed to atrazine under field conditions (adapted soil), the other had not (non-adapted soil), resulting, respectively, in an accelerated degradation of atrazine in the adapted soil and in a slow degradation of the herbicide in the non-adapted soil. The dissipation of ¹⁴C-atrazine via degradation and formation of non-extractable "bound" residues was followed during laboratory incubations in soils supplemented or not with increasing amounts of glucose and mineral N. In both soils, glucose added at rates of up to 16 g C kg^–1 soil did not modify atrazine mineralization but increased the formation of bound residues; this was probably due to the retention of atrazine by the growing microbial biomass. Atrazine dealkylation was enhanced when a large amount of glucose was added. In both soils, the addition of the largest dose of mineral N (2.5 g N kg^–1 soil) decreased atrazine mineralization. The simultaneous addition of glucose and mineral N enhanced their effects. When the largest doses of mineral N and glucose were added, atrazine mineralization stopped in both soils, and the proportion of bound residues increased. Glucose and mineral N additions influenced atrazine mineralization to a greater extent in the adapted soil than in the non-adapted one, as revealed by ANOVA, although glucose addition had a greater effect than N. The competition for space and nutrients between atrazine-degrading microorganisms and the total heterotrophic microflora probably contributed to the decrease in atrazine mineralization. Received: 9 June 1998     

Aerobic versus Anaerobic Microbial Degradation of Etofenprox in a California rice field soil

The microbial degradation of etofenprox, an ether pyrethroid, was characterized under anaerobic (flooded) and aerobic (nonflooded) California rice field soil conditions by determination of its half-life (t1/2) and dissipation rate constant (k) and identification and quantification of degradation products at both 22 and 40 °C using LC-MS/MS. The overall anaerobic t1/2 at 22 °C ranged from 49.1 to 100 days (k=-0.0141 to -0.0069 days(-1)) compared to 27.0 days (k=-0.0257 days(-1)) at 40 °C, whereas under aerobic conditions the overall t1/2 was 27.5 days (k=-0.0252 days(-1)) at 22 °C compared to 10.1-26.5 days (k=-0.0686 to -0.0262 days(-1)) at 40 °C. The biphasic dissipation profiles were also fit to a first-order model to determine the t1/2 and k for both the fast and slow kinetic regions of the dissipation curves. Hydroxylation at the 4'-position of the phenoxy phenyl ring was the major metabolic process under anaerobic conditions for both 22 °C (maximum% yield of applied etofenprox mass=1.3±0.7%) and 40 °C (max % yield=1.2±0.8%). Oxidation of the ether moiety to the ester was the major metabolite under aerobic conditions at 22 °C (max% yield=0.5±0.1%), but at 40 °C increased amounts of the hydroxylated form were produced (max% yield=0.7±0.2%, compared to 0.3±0.1% for the ester). The hydrolytic product of the ester, 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA), was not detected in any samples. Sterilized control soils showed little etofenprox degradation over the 56-day incubation period. Thus, the microbial population in a flooded soil was able to transform and contribute to the overall dissipation of etofenprox. The simulated summer temperature extreme (40 °C) increased the overall degradation.     

Mineralization of organic-matter labile fragments in the humus-accumulative horizon of soddy-podzolic soil

The mineralization rate of the ¹⁴C-labeled organic matter (OM) in the humus-accumulative AE horizon of a soddy-podzolic soil was determined in a laboratory experiment. The labeling was performed in a field experiment when microamounts of ¹⁴C-labeled glucose, glycine, and uracil were added to tree waste in sacks embedded in the upper layer of the forest litter. Samples containing ¹⁴C were taken from the AE horizon (above which the sacks with the labeled material were placed) 7 and 20 months after the beginning of the experiment. The soil samples were wetted to a water content corresponding to ??80% of the total water capacity and placed in hermetic vessels containing vials with a periodically renewed alkali solution. The incubation was performed at room temperature for 3.5 months; the alkali solutions in the vials were replaced and titrated 12 times during this period. Mineralization curves were plotted from the amounts of carbon dioxide absorbed by a 0.3 N NaOH solution, which were calculated for each time interval; its ¹⁴C content was determined by the scintillation method. The experimental treatments also included the determination of the OM mineralization rate in material from the AE horizon pretreated with a heavy liquid or a heavy liquid and a 0.1 N NaOH solution. The differences between the mineralization rates of the labeled organic matter applied to the soil in the form of glucose, glycine, and uracil under the field conditions after the interaction for 7 and 20 months were revealed. The changes in the mineralization rate after the successive extraction of the labile organic matter with a heavy liquid and a 0.1 N NaOH solution were studied. It was shown that the transformation of the labeled low-molecular-weight organic compounds in the soil over 20 months included their strong inclusion into the humus composition, which was confirmed by the similar values of the mineralization constants of the native and ¹⁴C-labeled OM. In addition, the treatments with the heavy liquid or the heavy liquid and the NaOH solution had almost identical effects on the mineralization of the native and ¹⁴C-labeled OM. The mineralization constants of the native and ¹⁴C-labeled OM in the samples taken after 7 months of the field experiment differed significantly.     

Fate of (14)C-labeled soybean and corn pesticides in tropical soils of Brazil under laboratory conditions

The dissipation rate of seven currently used soybean and corn pesticides in two tropical soils (Ustox and Psamments) of Brazil was studied in a laboratory incubation experiment. Dissipation half-lives of pesticides ranged between 2 (monocrotofos) and 90 days (endosulfan-beta). The contrasting clay contents of the studied tropical soils (130 versus 470 g of clay kg(-1) of soil) did not influence the dissipation dynamics of pesticides substantially. Mineralization to CO(2) was high [up to 78% of the applied radioactivity (AR)] for the studied organophosphorus compounds and deltamethrin, which also formed considerable amounts of bound residues (>20% of AR) during the 80 days of incubation. The highest portion of nonextractable residues was found for alachlor and simazine (55-60% of AR). In contrast, the nonpolar trifluralin and endosulfan formed only small amounts of bound residues (mostly <20% of AR) but showed the highest dissipation half-lives (>14 days) in the studied soils, also due to a low mineralization rate. When endosulfan-sulfate, as the main metabolite of endosulfan, was considered, the half-life time of endosulfan compounds (sum of -alpha, -beta, and -sulfate) was enhanced to >160 days in both soils. In comparison with the laboratory experiments, dissipation half-life times of chlorpyrifos, endosulfan-alpha, and trifluralin were shortened by a factor of 10-30 in field trials with the same soils, which was related to the volatilization potential of pesticides from soils.     

Rapid development of enhanced atrazine degradation in a Dundee silt loam soil under continuous corn and in rotation with cotton

Mississippi Delta cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production in rotation with corn (Zea mays L.) was evaluated in field experiments from 2000 to 2005 at Stoneville, Mississippi. Plots maintained under minimum tillage were established in 2000 on a Dundee silt loam with treatments including continuous cotton or corn and alternate cotton-corn rotations. Mineralization and dissipation of 14C [ring]-labeled atrazine were evaluated in the laboratory on soils collected prior to herbicide application in the first, second, third, and sixth years of the study. In soils collected in 2000, a maximum of 10% of the atrazine was mineralized after 30 days. After 1 year of herbicide application, atrazine-treated soils mineralized 52-57% of the radiolabeled atrazine in 30 days. By the sixth year of the study, greater than 59% of the atrazine was mineralized after 7 days in soils treated with atrazine, while soils from plots with no atrazine treatment mineralized less than 36%. The data also indicated rapid development of enhanced atrazine degradation in soils following 1 year of corn production with atrazine use. Atrazine mineralization was as rapid in soils under a rotation receiving biannual atrazine applications as in soils under continuous corn receiving annual applications of atrazine. Cumulative mineralization kinetics parameters derived from the Gompertz model (k and ti) were highly correlated with a history of atrazine application and total soil carbon content. Changes in the soil microbial community assessed by total fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis indicated significant interactions of cropping system and sampling date, with FAME indicators for soil bacteria responsible for differences in community structure. Autoclaved soil lost all ability to mineralize atrazine, and atrazine-mineralizing bacteria were isolated from these plots, confirming the biological basis for atrazine mineralization. These results indicate that changes in degradative potential of a soil can occur rapidly and some changes in soil properties may be associated with cropping systems, which can contribute to enhanced atrazine degradation potential.     

Microbial Degradation of Dimethylsilanediol in Soil

Dimethylsilanediol (DMSD) is the ultimate hydrolysis product of silicone (polydimethylsiloxane = PDMS) polymer in soil. Our previous paper showed that it would volatilize from soil, and the present study investigates the importance of microbial degradation in removing DMSD from soil. DMSD (¹⁴C-labeled) was thus incubated (1 mg kg^-1) for 30 wk at 25 °C in soils from a permanent grass field, a corn field, a deciduous woodland, and a pine woodland. Release of¹⁴ CO₂ varied from 0.4 to 1.6% wk^-1. For 3 of the soils, ¹⁴CO₂ increased with higher microbial biomass, while organisms in the deciduous woodland soil were more active in degrading DMSD than organisms in the other soils. After 30 weeks, most of the remaining ¹⁴C in the soil had moved from freely available water extractable to less available acid and base extractable fractions. Similar incubations with 2% plant litter showed extensive transfer of the DMSD into the litter layer. Incubations with a microbial inhibitor showed less DMSD degradation, while cold storage of soils almost completely stopped degradation. These results suggest that microbial degradation is an important mechanism of DMSD loss from soil.     

Dissipation of fungicides in a vineyard soil amended with different spent mushroom substrates

The degradation kinetics and formation of metabolites for fungicides of different chemical classes (iprovalicarb, metalaxyl, penconazole, and pyrimethanil) and determination of bound residues for metalaxyl and penconazole were studied in both an unamended vineyard soil and in the same soil amended with two spent mushroom substrates (composted (C-SMS1) and fresh (F-SMS2)). The degradation kinetics was fitted to single first-order or first-order multicompartment patterns. Degradation rates decreased in C-SMS1-amended soils for all fungicides as compared to unamended soil, but in F-SMS2-amended soils, they decreased only for iprovalicarb and penconazole. The DT(50) values were higher by up to 1.8 (metalaxyl), 3.8 (pyrimethanil), 4.1 (iprovalicarb), and >1000 (penconazole) times in the soil plus C-SMS1 compared to those for soil plus F-SMS2 or unamended soil. The dissipation mechanism recorded the highest mineralization in the unamended soil for (14)C-metalaxyl and (14)C-penconazole, with the highest formation of nonextractable residues in the F-SMS2-amended soil for (14)C-metalaxyl. The results are consistent with (1) the chemical characteristics of each SMS (total and soluble organic carbon) controlling sorption and the bioavailability of fungicides and (2) the microbial activity of SMS-amended soils, which affects fungicide biodegradation. The findings of this work highlight the potential of SMS amendments with different characteristics to decrease or increase the degradation rate of a fungicide in a vineyard soil.     

尕海湿地植被退化过程中土壤有机碳矿化特征

为了揭示植被退化对湿地土壤碳矿化过程的影响,以甘南尕海4种不同植被退化梯度的湿地(未退化(UD)、轻度退化(LD)、中度退化(MD)及重度退化(HD))为研究对象,采用室内恒温培养和碱液吸收法研究不同土层土壤有机碳(SOC)矿化速率和累积矿化量,结合一级动力学方程,分析土壤半矿化分解时间(T1/2)、有机碳矿化潜势(C0)等参数对植被退化的响应。结果表明:(1)不同植被退化梯度湿地SOC矿化速率在培养期内呈现出基本一致的变化趋势,表现为,培养初期(0~4天)矿化速率快速下降,且数值较高,培养中后期缓慢下降(4~41天)并趋于平稳;各培养温度下,不同植被退化梯度湿地土壤在各土层有机碳矿化速率大小均为UD>LD>MD>HD。(2)在整个培养期间,各植被退化梯度湿地土壤有机碳矿化速率均随土层加深而降低,表层0-10 cm的矿化速率(1.14~16.23 mg/(g·d))均显著高于10-20 cm(1.05~2.85mg/(g·d))和20-40 cm土层(0.94~1.26 mg/(g·d))。(3)4种植被退化梯度湿地在不同温度下的土壤有机碳累积矿化量均值排序为5°C(34.54 mg/g)<15°C(46.67 mg/g)<25°C(58.28 mg/g)<35°C(86.46 mg/g)。(4)一级动力学方程的C0值随植被退化程度增加呈递减趋势,而C0/SOC随着温度的升高而降低。因此,植被退化能显著降低高寒湿地土壤有机碳矿化速率,而气候变暖能够显著增加湿地土壤有机碳矿化量。     

Biodegradation of estrone and 17 β-estradiol in grassland soils amended with animal wastes

The release of endocrine disrupting chemicals into the environment is of increasing concern due to the formation of an intersex state in freshwater organisms and potential risks to human health. The aim of this study was to investigate the persistence of the naturally occurring hormones, estrone and 17 β-estradiol in three agricultural grassland soils in the presence and absence of cattle and sheep wastes (urine and manure). Biodegradation was investigated using ¹⁴C-labelled hormones which were applied to soil in three different solvents (water, artificial urine and natural sheep urine). When applied directly to soil the two hormones degraded at a similar rate, however, the speed of mineralization was soil type and solvent dependant. The half-life (t_1/2) of the hormones in soils ranged from 5 to 25 d. The hormones were also applied to the soils in sheep and cattle manure of different ages (7 d to 2 yr). Generally, the rate of degradation in the animal manure amended soils was more rapid than in the unamended soils (t_1/2=1-9 d), with mineralization being largely independent of manure age and type. We conclude that in comparison to many xenobiotics, estrogens are not persistent in agricultural soils. However, our calculations suggest that if they are lost to freshwater via runoff or leaching then they may have an appreciable effect on freshwater organisms. Assuming normal landspreading rates our results suggest that the risk of estrogen contamination of freshwater associated with manure spreading is very low.     

Soil and glass surface photodegradation of etofenprox under simulated california rice growing conditions

Photolysis is an important degradation process to consider when evaluating a pesticide's persistence in a rice field environment. To simulate both nonflooded and flooded California rice field conditions, the photolytic degradation of etofenprox, an ether pyrethroid, was characterized on an air-dried rice soil and a flooded rice soil surface by determination of its half-life (t(1/2)), dissipation rate constant (k) and identification and quantitation of degradation products using LC/MS/MS. Photodegradation was also characterized on a glass surface alone to rule out confounding soil factors. Measured photolytic dissipation rates were used as input parameters into a multimedia environmental fate model to predict etofenprox persistence in a rice field environment. Photolytic degradation proceeded at a faster rate (0.23/day, t(1/2) = 3.0 days) on the flooded soil surface compared to the air-dried surface (0.039/day, t(1/2) = 18 days). Etofenprox degradation occurred relatively quickly on the glass surface (3.1/day, t(1/2) = 0.23 days or 5.5 h) compared to both flooded and air-dried soil layers. Oxidation of the ether moiety to the ester was the major product on all surfaces (max % yield range = 0.2 ± 0.1% to 9.3 ± 2.3%). The hydroxylation product at the 4' position of the phenoxy phenyl ring was detected on all surfaces (max % yield range = 0.2 ± 0.1% to 4.1 ± 1.0%). The air-dried soil surface did not contain detectable residues of the ester cleavage product, whereas it was quantitated on the flooded soil (max % yield = 0.6 ± 0.3%) and glass surface (max % yield = 3.6 ± 0.6%). Dissipation of the insecticide in dark controls was significantly different (p < 0.05) compared to the light-exposed surfaces indicating that degradation was by photolysis. Laboratory studies and fate model predictions suggest photolysis will be an important process in the overall degradation of etofenprox in a rice field environment.     

上海郊区园艺土壤氮素的生物形成动态变化

Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) represents a significant pool of soluble nitrogen (N) in soil ecosystems. Soil samples under three different horticultural management practices were collected from the Xiaxiyang Organic Vegetable and Fruit Farm, Shanghai, China, to investigate the dynamics of N speciation during 2 months of aerobic incubation, to compare the effects of different soils on the mineralization of ¹⁴C-labeled amino acids and peptides, and to determine which of the pathways in the decomposition and subsequent ammonification and nitrification of organic N represented a significant blockage in soil N supply. The dynamics of N speciation was found to be significantly affected by mineralization and immobilization. DON, total free amino acids, and NH₄⁺-N were maintained at very low levels and did not accumulate, whereas NO₃^--N gradually accumulated in these soils. The conversion of insoluble organic N to low-molecular-weight (LMW) DON represented a main constraint to N supply, while conversions of LMW DON to NH₄⁺-N and NH₄⁺-N to NO₃^--N did not. Free amino acids and peptides were rapidly mineralized in the soils by the microbial community and consequently did not accumulate in soil. Turnover rates of the additional amino acids and peptides were soil-dependent and generally followed the order of organic soil > transitional soil > conventional soil. The turnover of high-molecular-weight DON was very slow and represented the major DON loss. Further studies are needed to investigate the pathways and bottlenecks of organic N degradation.     

Kinetics of native and added carbon mineralization on incubating at different soil and moisture conditions in Typic Ustochrepts and Typic Halustalf

The carbon dynamics in soils is of great importance due to its links to the global carbon cycle. The prediction of the behavior of native soil organic carbon (SOC) and organic amendments via incubation studies and mathematical modeling may bridge the knowledge gap in understanding complex soil ecosystems. Three alkaline Typic Ustochrepts and one Typic Halustalf with sandy, loamy sand, and clay loam texture, varying in percent SOC of 0.2; S₁, 0.42; S₂, 0.67; S₃ and 0.82; S₄ soils, were amended with wheat straw (WS), WS + P, sesbania green manure (GM), and poultry manure (PM) on 0.5% C rate at field capacity (FC) and ponding (P) moisture levels and incubated at 35 °C for 1, 15, 30 and 45 d. Carbon mineralization was determined via the alkali titration method after 1, 5, 7 14, 21, and 28 d. The SOC and inorganic carbon contents were determined from dried up (50 °C) soil samples after 1, 15, 30, and 45 d of incubation. Carbon from residue mineralization was determined by subtracting the amount of CO₂-C evolved from control soils. The kinetic models; monocomponent first order, two-component first order, and modified Gompertz equations were fitted to the carbon mineralization data from native and added carbon. The SOC decomposition was dependent upon soil properties, and moisture, however, added C was relatively independent. The carbon from PM was immobilized in S₄. All the models fitted to the data predicted carbon mineralization in a similar range with few exceptions. The residues lead to the OC build-up in fine-textured soils having relatively high OC and cation exchange capacities. Whereas, fast degradation of applied OC in coarse-textured soils leads to faster mineralization and lower build-up from residues. The decline in CaCO₃ after incubation was higher at FC than in the P moisture regime.     

Factors influencing degradation of pesticides in soil

Degradation and sorption of six acidic pesticides (2,4-D, dicamba, fluroxypyr, fluazifop-P, metsulfuron-methyl, and flupyrsulfuron-methyl) and four basic pesticides (metribuzin, terbutryn, pirimicarb, and fenpropimorph) were determined in nine temperate soils. Results were submitted to statistical analyses against a wide range of soil and pesticide properties to (i) identify any commonalities in factors influencing rate of degradation and (ii) determine whether there was any link between sorption and degradation processes for the compounds and soils studied. There were some marked differences between the soils in their ability to degrade the different pesticides. The parameters selected to explain variations in degradation rates depended on the soil-pesticide combination. The lack of consistent behavior renders a global approach to prediction of degradation unrealistic. The soil organic carbon content generally had a positive influence on degradation. The relationship between pH and degradation rates depended on the dominant mode of degradation for each pesticide. There were positive relationships between sorption and rate of degradation for metsulfuron-methyl, pirimicarb, and all acidic pesticides considered together (all P < 0.001) and for dicamba and all bases considered together (P < 0.05). No relationship between these processes was observed for the remaining seven individual pesticides.     

Effects of soil pH and soil water content on prosulfuron dissipation

The sulfonylurea herbicide prosulfuron, 1-(4-methoxy-6-methyltriazin-2-yl)-3-[2-(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)phenylsulfonyl]urea, is used for the selective control of broadleaf weeds in corn, sorghum, and cereal grains. To investigate its fate in soils, this study examined the effects of soil pH and water content on the rates of dissipation processes and the products formed under aerobic conditions. Radiometry and chromatography analyses were used to quantify the degradation products and bound residues formed in incubations of 10 different soils. The pH-dependent hydrolysis of the sulfonylurea bridge to form phenyl sulfonamide was the primary transformation process. Significant microbial degradation of prosulfuron occurred in 2 of the 10 soils, yielding (14)CO(2) and desmethyl prosulfuron among the major products. The time required for 50% dissipation of the herbicide (DT(50)) was determined for each soil and water content treatment. At equivalent water contents, prosulfuron DT(50) values were positively correlated with soil pH (P < 0.0001), varying from 6.5 days at pH 5.4 to 122.9 days at pH 7.9. Soil pH and water content strongly influence the fate of sulfonylurea herbicides in agricultural fields. Differences in the effect of soil water content on dissipation kinetics in a comparison of two soils were attributed to differences in soil pH, texture, and the ability of indigenous microorganisms to transform the herbicide.