Influence of surfactants on the leaching of bentazone in a sandy loam soil

BACKGROUND: Surfactants are very often used for more efficient pesticide spraying, but knowledge about their influence on the leaching potential for pesticides is very limited. In the present study, the leaching of the herbicide bentazone [3‐isopropyl‐1H‐2, 1,3‐benzothiadiazin‐4(3H)‐one 2,2‐dioxide] was measured in columns with sandy loam soil with or without the addition of a non‐ionic surfactant, octylphenol ethylene oxide condensate (Triton X‐100, Triton), and an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS), and in the presence of both surfactants (SDBS + Triton). RESULTS: The mobility of bentazone (B) increased in the following order: B + Triton (slowest) < B + SDBS + Triton < B < B + SDBS (fastest). When Triton X‐100 was applied to the soil together with bentazone, the leaching of bentazone in the soil decreased significantly compared with leaching of bentazone without the addition of surfactant. SDBS and Triton X‐100 neutralised their influence on the leaching speed of bentazone in the soil columns when both surfactants were applied with bentazone. CONCLUSION: From the study it can be concluded that, depending on their properties, surfactants can enhance or reduce the mobility of bentazone. By choosing a non‐ionic surfactant, bentazone mobility can be reduced, giving time for degradation and thereby reducing the risk of groundwater pollution. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Persistence and binding of DDT and gamma-HCH in a sandy loam soil under field conditions in Delhi,India

Persistence and binding capacity of [¹⁴C]p, p′-DDT and [¹⁴C]y-HCH were studied for one year in a sandy loam soil of Delhi, India, after surface treatment during monsoon, winter and summer seasons under field conditions. Both DDT and HCH dissipated more rapidly under the Indian subtropical climate than reported for temperate regions. In all three seasons, both insecticides dissipated most rapidly during the initial 60 days. However, in the final six months there was very little change in the residue levels. After one year, the final soil burden of DDT varied from 33 to 36% and of HCH from 14 to 15% of the initial concentrations in the different experiments. HCH bound more with the soil as, out of the total residues present after one year, more than 75% of HCH was in bound form compared with only 24% of DDT. The observed time for 50% initial dissipation of DDT ranged from 60 to 120 days, while in the case of HCH it varied from 30 to 45 days. However, the rate of loss of residues which persisted for more than 6 months was equivalent to a half-life of between 500 and 10000 days for DDT, and between 700 and 2000 days for HCH, thus illustrating the very long persistence of aged residues. Since degradation of both insecticides was apparently minimal, the data indicate that dissipation of DDT and HCH was largely due to volatilisation.     

Transport of [14C]benazolin and bromide in large zero-tension outdoor lysimeters and the undisturbed field in a sandy soil

In order to investigate the transferability of lysimeter results to the actual field situation, a leaching study with [¹⁴C]benazolin and bromide was carried out in a sandy soil. A suction base system, where soil water and solute fluxes through a lateral cross-sectional sampling area could be measured in an undisturbed field environment, was developed as reference system. Using that measuring instrument, possible artefacts of the lysimeter system could be excluded. The outflow of soil water and leaching of benazolin and bromide showed no system-related differences between the lysimeters and the undisturbed field represented by the suction base station. Higher outflow of leachate and bromide in the lysimeters could be attributable to different meteorological conditions at the lysimeter and the field station. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sorption, degradation and leaching of the fungicide iprodione in a golf green under Scandinavian conditions: measurements, modelling and risk assessment

In cold climates, fungicides are used on golf greens to prevent snow mould causing serious damage to the turf. However, fungicide residues have been detected in runoff from golf courses, which may lead to restrictions on use. There is therefore an urgent need to improve understanding of the processes affecting leaching of fungicides from turfgrass systems to allow identification of green construction and management practices that minimize environmental impacts. In this study we monitored the leaching of the fungicide iprodione in a putting green. Sorption and degradation of iprodione was measured in batch and incubation experiments, and the simulation model MACRO was used as a risk assessment tool. Degradation of iprodione was bi-phasic, with a rapid initial phase (half-life 17 h) caused by enhanced biodegradation. Degradation rates slowed considerably after 5 days, with half-lives of up to 38 days. Sorption of iprodione was linear, with a K(oc) value of ca 400 cm(3) g(-1). MACRO reasonably accurately matched measured drainflows and concentrations of iprodione in soil and drainflow. However, peak concentrations in drainage were underestimated, which was attributed to preferential finger flow due to water repellency. The results also showed the importance of the organic matter content in the green root zone in reducing leaching. It was concluded that, with 'reasonable worst-case' use, losses of iprodione from greens can occur at concentrations exceeding water quality limits for aquatic ecosystems. Snow mould problems should be tackled by adopting green root zone mixes that minimize leaching and 'best management practices' that would avoid the need for intensive prophylactic use of fungicides.     

基于HYDRUS-2D的滨海地区膜下滴灌土壤水盐运移模拟研究

以春玉米“郑单958”为供试作物,采用膜下滴灌灌水方式,设定2种不同灌水定额,分别是单次灌水定额20 mm和10 mm,测定试验区土壤水分、盐分含量,利用HYDRUS-2D模型对土壤水盐运移进行模拟,将模拟值与实测值进行对比分析,探究滨海地区盐碱化土壤水盐运移规律。结果表明：滴灌过程中,水平方向土壤盐分由膜下向膜边运移,膜下土壤淋洗效果好于膜边;竖直方向0~20 cm土壤水分、盐分变化幅度最大,土壤含盐量降低16.1%,淋洗效果明显;下层土壤盐分淋洗效果一般,土壤含盐量降低值仅为9.6%。土壤水分重分布过程中,0~20 cm土层土壤含水率和含盐量变化幅度比20~60 cm土层大。0~20 cm、20~40 cm和40~60 cm土层高灌水定额（20 mm）处理对土壤盐分的抑制作用分别比低灌水定额（10 mm）处理高26%、11%、19%,并且高灌水定额滴灌将土壤盐分淋洗到60 cm土层以下,而低灌水定额滴灌未能将土壤盐分淋洗到60cm土层以下。HYDRUS-2D模拟得到的土壤含水率与含盐量和实测值基本吻合,模型可靠。     

Solute transport characteristics of a deep soil profile in the Loess Plateau,China

Understanding solute transport behaviors of deep soil profile in the Loess Plateau is helpful for ecological construction and agricultural production improvement. In this study, solute transport processes of a deep soil profile were measured by a conservative tracer experiment using 25 undisturbed soil cores(20 cm long and 7 cm diameter for each) continuously sampled from the surface downward to the depth of 500 cm in the Loess Plateau of China. The solute transport breakthrough curves(BTCs) were analyzed in terms of the convection-dispersion equation(CDE) and the mobile-immobile model(MIM). Average pore-water velocity and dispersion coefficient(or effective dispersion coefficient) were calculated using the CDE and MIM. Basic soil properties and water infiltration parameters were also determined to explore their influence on the solute transport parameters. Both pore-water velocity and dispersion coefficient(or effective dispersion coefficient) generally decreased with increasing depth, and the dispersivity fluctuated along the soil profile. There was a good linear correlation between log-transformed pore-water velocity and dispersion coefficient, with a slope of about 1.0 and an average dispersivity of 0.25 for the entire soil profile. Generally speaking, the soil was more homogeneous along the soil profile. Our results also show that hydrodynamic dispersion is the dominant mechanism of solute transport of loess soils in the study area.     

Field leaching of pesticides at five test sites in Hawaii: modeling flow and transport

BACKGROUND: Physically based tier‐II models may serve as possible alternatives to expensive field and laboratory leaching experiments required for pesticide approval and registration. The objective of this study was to predict pesticide fate and transport at five different sites in Hawaii using data from an earlier field leaching experiment and a one‐dimensional tier‐II model. As the predicted concentration profiles of pesticides did not provide close agreement with data, inverse modeling was used to obtain adequate reactive transport parameters. The estimated transport parameters of pesticides were also utilized in a tier‐I model, which is currently used by the state authorities to evaluate the relative leaching potential. RESULTS: Water flow in soil profiles was simulated by the tier‐II model with acceptable accuracy at all experimental sites. The observed concentration profiles and center of mass depths predicted by the tier‐II simulations based on optimized transport parameters provided better agreements than did the non‐optimized parameters. With optimized parameters, the tier‐I model also delivered results consistent with observed pesticide center of mass depths. CONCLUSION: Tier‐II numerical modeling helped to identify relevant transport processes in field leaching of pesticides. The process‐based modeling of water flow and pesticide transport, coupled with the inverse procedure, can contribute significantly to the evaluation of chemical leaching in Hawaii soils. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characteristics of deep drainage and soil water in the mobile sandy lands of Inner Mongolia,northern China

 Quantification of deep drainage and the response of soil water content to rainfall patterns are critical for an effective management strategy of soil water conservation and groundwater utilization. However, information on how rainfall characteristics influence soil water dynamics and deep drainage in mobile sandy lands are lacking. We used an underground chamber to examine the response of deep drainage and soil water content in mobile sandy lands to rainfall characteristics during the growing season of 2010, 2011 and 2012. Results showed that rainfall in this area was dominated by small events (≤5 mm), which increased soil water content in the surface soil layers (0–40 cm), but did not increase soil water content at the deeper soil layers (greater than 40 cm). Soil water content at the 0–100 cm depth increased significantly when the total amount of rain was >20 mm. Rainfall amount, intensity and the duration of dry intervals were significantly related to the soil water content at different soil layers. Deep drainage was significantly correlated with rainfall amount and intensity, but not with the duration of the dry interval. The coefficients of deep drainage in mobile sandy lands ranged from 61.30% to 67.94% during the growing seasons. Our results suggested that rainfall infiltration in these widespread mobile sandy lands had considerable potential to increase soil water storage while recharging the groundwater in this region.     

Uncalibrated modelling of conservative tracer and pesticide leaching to groundwater: comparison of potential Tier II exposure assessment models

The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) and Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM) are currently being considered by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) in the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) for Tier II screening of pesticide leaching to groundwater (November 2005). The objective of the present research was to compare RZWQM and PRZM based on observed conservative tracer and pesticide pore water and soil concentrations collected in two unique groundwater leaching studies in North Carolina and Georgia. These two sites had been used previously by the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Environmental Model Validation Task Force (EMVTF) in the validation of PRZM. As in the FIFRA EMVTF PRZM validation, 'cold' modelling using input parameters based on EPA guidelines/databases and 'site-specific' modelling using field-measured soil and hydraulic parameters were performed with a recently released version of RZWQM called RZWQM-NAWQA (National Water Quality Assessment). Model calibration was not performed for either the 'cold' or 'site-specific' modelling. The models were compared based on predicted pore water and soil concentrations of bromide and pesticides throughout the soil profile. Both models tended to predict faster movement through the soil profile than observed. Based on a quantitative normalised objective function (NOF), RZWQM-NAWQA generally outperformed or was equivalent to PRZM in simulating pore water and soil concentrations. Both models were more successful in predicting soil concentrations (i.e. NOF < 1.0 for site-specific data, which satisfies site-specific applicability) than they were at predicting pore water concentrations.     

Application of the pesticide transport assessment model to a field study in a humic sandy soil in Vredepeel,The Netherlands

The Pesticide Transport Assessment model (PESTRAS) is a process-oriented model to simulate the fate and movement of water and pesticides in a cropped field soil. The model was evaluated using field data for bromide, ethoprophos and bentazone, collected from a field experiment in a humic sandy soil near Vredepeel, the Netherlands. Model predictions were generally within the 95% confidence intervals of the observations when site-specific model inputs were used. If generic parameter values were used, the model predictions sometimes deviated strongly from the observed data. This was especially true for pesticide degradation properties. The bromide simulations showed that preferential flow was not an important process for this field soil. A significant fraction of the applied ethoprophos disappeared by surface volatilization. The downward movement of this pesticide was slightly overestimated, due to not considering sorption kinetics. The depth-dependence of pesticide transformation was atypical: an important fraction of the applied bentazone was transformed under micro-aerobic to anaerobic conditions in the subsoil. © 1998 SCI     

Application of the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM) to pesticide fate and transport: an overview

Pesticide transport models are tools used to develop improved pesticide management strategies, study pesticide processes under different conditions (management, soils, climates, etc) and illuminate aspects of a system in need of more field or laboratory study. This paper briefly overviews RZWQM history and distinguishing features, overviews key RZWQM components and reviews RZWQM validation studies. RZWQM is a physically based agricultural systems model that includes sub-models to simulate: infiltration, runoff, water distribution and chemical movement in the soil; macropore flow and chemical movement through macropores; evapotranspiration (ET); heat transport; plant growth; organic matter/nitrogen cycling; pesticide processes; chemical transfer to runoff; and the effect of agricultural management practices on these processes. Research to date shows that if key input parameters are calibrated, RZWQM can adequately simulate the processes involved with pesticide transport (ET, soil-water content, percolation and runoff, plant growth and pesticide fate). A review of the validation studies revealed that (1) accurate parameterization of restricting soil layers (low permeability horizons) may improve simulated soil-water content; (2) simulating pesticide sorption kinetics may improve simulated soil pesticide concentration with time (persistence) and depth and (3) calibrating the pesticide half-life is generally necessary for accurate pesticide persistence simulations. This overview/review provides insight into the processes involved with the RZWQM pesticide component and helps identify model weaknesses, model strengths and successful modeling strategies.     

风沙区参考作物需水量计算模式的研究

根据包头气象站30a逐旬气象资料和2001年作物生长期逐日资料,用Penman-Monteith公式、Blaney-Criddle公式、Hargreaves公式、Priestley-Taylor公式、Markkink公式估算逐旬和逐日的参考作物需水量(ET0),以Penman-Monteith方法计算结果作为标准来评价其它4种计算方法。经比较分析,用其它4种方法和Penman-Monteith方法计算出的逐旬ET0值均具有较好的相关性,其中以Blaney-Criddle法估算结果最好。4种方法估算的逐日ET0误差较大,相比而言,Markkink法优于其它3种方法。同时,分析了ET0与气温的关系,并建立了适合该地区ET0计算的经验公式,用经验公式估算ET0方法简单,且具有较高的精度。     

Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae in a collection of pea germplasm under field and controlled conditions

A total of 242 Pisum accessions were screened for resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. pisi under controlled conditions. Resistance was found to all races, including race 6 and the recently described race 8. Fifty‐eight accessions were further tested for resistance to P. syringae pv. syringae under controlled conditions, with some highly resistant accessions identified. Finally, a set of 41 accessions were evaluated for resistance to P. syringae pv. pisi and pv. syringae under spring‐ and winter‐sowing field conditions. R2, R3 and R4 race‐specific resistance genes to P. syringae pv. pisi protected pea plants in the field. Resistance sources to race 6 identified under controlled conditions were ineffective in the field. Frost effects were also evaluated in relation to disease response. Results strongly suggest that frost tolerance is effective in lowering the disease effects caused by P. syringae pv. pisi and pv. syringae under frost‐stress conditions, even in the absence of disease resistance genes, although the highest degree of this protection is reached when frost tolerance and disease‐resistance genes are combined in the same genetic background.     

Fate of glyphosate in soil and the possibility of leaching to ground and surface waters: a review

The very wide use of glyphosate to control weeds in agricultural, silvicultural and urban areas throughout the world requires that special attention be paid to its possible transport from terrestrial to aquatic environments. The aim of this review is to present and discuss the state of knowledge on sorption, degradation and leachability of glyphosate in soils. Difficulties of drawing clear and unambiguous conclusions because of strong soil dependency and limited conclusive investigations are pointed out. Nevertheless, the risk of ground and surface water pollution by glyphosate seems limited because of sorption onto variable-charge soil minerals, e.g. aluminium and iron oxides, and because of microbial degradation. Although sorption and degradation are affected by many factors that might be expected to affect glyphosate mobility in soils, glyphosate leaching seems mainly determined by soil structure and rainfall. Limited leaching has been observed in non-structured sandy soils, while subsurface leaching to drainage systems was observed in a structured soil with preferential flow in macropores, but only when high rainfall followed glyphosate application. Glyphosate in drainage water runs into surface waters but not necessarily to groundwater because it may be sorbed and degraded in deeper soil layers before reaching the groundwater. Although the transport of glyphosate from land to water environments seems very limited, knowledge about subsurface leaching and surface runoff of glyphosate as well as the importance of this transport as related to ground and surface water quality is scarce.     

Hierarchical responses of soil organic and inorganic carbon dynamics to soil acidification in a dryland agroecosystem,China

Soil acidification is a major global issue of sustainable development for ecosystems. The increasing soil acidity induced by excessive nitrogen(N) fertilization in farmlands has profoundly impacted the soil carbon dynamics. However, the way in which changes in soil p H regulating the soil carbon dynamics in a deep soil profile is still not well elucidated. In this study, through a 12-year field N fertilization experiment with three N fertilizer treatments(0, 120, and 240 kg N/(hm~2·a)) in a dryland agroecosystem of China, we explored the soil p H changes over a soil profile up to a depth of 200 cm and determined the responses of soil organic carbon(SOC) and soil inorganic carbon(SIC) to the changed soil p H. Using a generalized additive model, we identified the soil depth intervals with the most powerful statistical relationships between changes in soil p H and soil carbon dynamics. Hierarchical responses of SOC and SIC dynamics to soil acidification were found. The results indicate that the changes in soil p H explained the SOC dynamics well by using a non-linear relationship at the soil depth of 0–80 cm(P=0.006), whereas the changes in soil p H were significantly linearly correlated with SIC dynamics at the 100–180 cm soil depth(P=0.015). After a long-term N fertilization in the experimental field, the soil p H value decreased in all three N fertilizer treatments. Furthermore, the declines in soil p H in the deep soil layer(100–200 cm) were significantly greater(P=0.035) than those in the upper soil layer(0–80 cm). These results indicate that soil acidification in the upper soil layer can transfer excess protons to the deep soil layer, and subsequently, the structural heterogeneous responses of SOC and SIC to soil acidification were identified because of different buffer capacities for the SOC and SIC. To better estimate the effects of soil acidification on soil carbon dynamics, we suggest that future investigations for soil acidification should be extended to a deeper soil depth, e.g., 200 cm.     

滴灌灌水量对风沙土大豆根区硝态氮及水分分布的影响

为合理进行风沙土地区灌溉管理,将水肥控制在根区范围内并满足大豆生长需求,以灌水量为试验因素,基于作物冠层蒸发皿蒸发量设置0.4（W1）、0.6（W2）、0.8（W3）、1.0 E_pan（W4）和1.2 E_pan（W5）5个灌溉水平,研究不同灌水量对大豆根区硝态氮和水分分布的影响。结果表明：增加灌水量会使土壤水分入渗深度增加10~30 cm,增大根区土壤水分分布的不均匀性,苗期W5处理剖面水分平均值较W1处理增大40.22%,W4、W5处理能够维持大豆根区6%~7%的土壤含水率。硝态氮有明显表聚现象,随着灌水量的增大,淋洗深度增加且不均匀性增大,根区土壤硝态氮平均含量降低,当灌水量高于1.0 E_pan时,硝态氮含量低于10 mg·kg^-1。W2、W3和W4处理能保证大豆根区在生育前、中、后期处于15~22 mg·kg^-1的硝态氮浓度区间,垂直方向上灌水量与硝态氮呈负相关关系。风沙土土壤剖面含水率均在4%~10%之间,灌水量是影响风沙土硝态氮含量和分布的主要因素之一;各处理硝态氮含量在10~30 mg·kg^-1之间。综合考虑作物对根区土壤水分和硝态氮含量的需求,以及土壤水分和硝态氮在根层的分布特征,推荐灌溉水量为1.0 E_pan。     

微咸水膜下滴灌对土壤盐分及棉花产量的影响

合理利用微咸水资源灌溉对于缓解新疆南部地区淡水资源短缺的问题有着至关重要的意义。本文以库尔勒31团棉田为供试对象,淡水作为对照,利用排碱渠咸水与淡水不同比例混合,设置6种梯度配比,研究微咸水及咸水对棉田土壤盐分分布及产量的影响。结果表明:①随着矿化度的增加,各处理土壤盐分呈现不同程度的增加,其中处理5(全咸)增加程度最大,积盐率为131.03%。②在垂直方向上,随着土层深度的增加,各处理土壤盐分在20~40 cm处达到峰值;在水平方向上,盐分累积程度的大小为:膜间>宽行>窄行。③随着矿化度的增加,棉花的产量逐渐下降,棉花产量下降的主要因素是单株结铃数,而单铃重对棉花产量无明显影响。由膜下滴灌土壤盐分对棉花生长和产量的影响得出,当灌溉水的矿化度在淡咸水比为4∶1(矿化度2.36~3.39 g·L^-1)时对棉花生长的抑制作用较小,较对照处理相比,产量减少11.85%。     

Selectivity of diacylhydrazine insecticides to the predatory bug Orius laevigatus: in vivo and modelling/docking experiments

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of pesticide selectivity to natural enemies is necessary for a successful implementation of biological and chemical control methods in integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. Diacylhydrazine (DAH)‐based ecdysone agonists, also known as moulting‐accelerating compounds (MACs), are considered to be a selective group of insecticides, and their compatibility with predatory Heteroptera, which are used as biological control agents, is known. However, their molecular mode of action has not been explored in beneficial insects such as Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae). RESULTS: In this project, in vivo toxicity assays demonstrated that the DAH‐based RH‐5849, tebufenozide and methoxyfenozide have no toxic effect against O. laevigatus. The ligand‐binding domain (LBD) of the ecdysone receptor (EcR) of O. laevigatus was sequenced, and a homology protein model was constructed that confirmed a cavity structure with 12 α‐helices, harbouring the natural insect moulting hormone 20‐hydroxyecdysone. However, docking studies showed that a steric clash occurred for the DAH‐based insecticides owing to a restricted extent of the ligand‐binding cavity of the EcR of O. laevigatus. CONCLUSIONS: The insect toxicity assays demonstrated that MACs are selective for O. laevigatus. The modelling/docking experiments are indications that these pesticides do not bind with the LBD‐EcR of O. laevigatus and support the supposition that they show no biological effects in the predatory bug. These data help in explaining the compatible use of MACs together with predatory bugs in IPM programmes. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

A modelling approach using seedbank and soil properties to predict the relative weed density in organic fields of an Italian pre-alpine valley

In 1996, a study was conducted on the seedbanks of a pre‐alpine valley in northern Italy which had been organically farmed since 1986. The seedbanks were evaluated using soil cores taken from 16 organic fields located at various altitudes and seed numbers were determined using the ‘seedling emergence method’. Thirteen soil properties were also evaluated. In 2003, the germinable seedbank was assessed in five other fields chosen at random. Soil properties were evaluated by the same method as in 1996. Using the data of the first 16 fields as the analysis data set and those of the latter five as an independent validation data set, a quadratic weed seedbank‐soil properties model was built with partial least square regression analysis. The model estimates the relative abundance of the various species as the sum of the contribution of individual soil properties and has a high predictive capacity. With a novel graphic approach, it is possible to describe the nonlinear relationship between each soil property and weed species relative abundance, giving a rational, quantitative, explanation as to why some species are widespread (e.g. Chenopodium album, Galinsoga parviflora and Chenopodium polyspermum), whereas others tend to concentrate in specific fields (e.g. Spergula arvensis). The approach can, when some hypotheses hold, give a rational basis for the explanation of the relative abundance of species in a weed community and constitutes a useful methodology for study and research.