Behavior of 14C oryzalin in soil and plants

Radiochemical studies of field soil treated with ¹⁴C oryzalin (3,5-dinitro-N⁴,N⁴-dipropylsulfanilamide) indicated that the compound was readily degradable. One year after soil treatment with oryzalin, 45% of the original radioactivity had dissipated, 25% was extractable, and 30% was “soil bound”. The extractable fraction contained oryzalin and several degradation products, some of which were isolated and identified. No single degradation product accounted for more than 3% of the applied oryzalin. The “soil-bound” radioactivity was extractable with hot alkali. No significant radioactive residues were detectable in either seed or forage of soybean and wheat plants. No specific metabolites of oryzalin were identified in soybean plants. Trace amounts of radioactivity found in plant tissue appeared to be associated with the various plant constituents.     

The degradation of diflubenzuron and its chief metabolites in soils. Part II: Fate of 4-chlorophenylurea

The fate of 4-chlorophenylurea in soils was studied with two preparations: one labelled with ¹⁴C in the phenyl ring and the other in the carbonyl group. The initial dose of 1 mg kg^?1 decreased to 50% in about 5 weeks in aerobic sandy clay and in about 16 weeks in anaerobic hydrosoil. Soil treatment with each of the preparations resulted in the release of [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide, pointing to decarbonylation and ring opening. The fraction of non-extractable (soil-bound) radioactivity increased during incubation. Quantities of ring-¹⁴C-labelled and carbonyl-¹⁴C-labelled bound residues differed strongly in the aerobic soil but only slightly in the anaerobic hydrosoil. It is assumed that two sorts of bound residues are formed from 4-chlorophenylurea: one is fairly stable and might consist of bound 4-chloroaniline or its transformation products, whereas the other is presumed to be a degradable derivative of 4-chlorophenylurea.     

The conjugation and accumulation of metabolites of cypermethrin by earthworms

When earthworms are maintained in soil containing [¹⁴C]cypermethrin they accumulate radioactive residues. These residues are not eliminated when the worms are transferred to untreated soil. The accumulated radioactive residue is a complex mixture of conjugates of two metabolites of cypermethrin (3-phenoxybenzoic acid and (1RS)-cis, trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid). One major constituent of this mixture of conjugates has been identified as N¹, N¹²-di-(3-phenoxybenzoyl)spermine. Feeding studies with quail and rats have established that the residues accumulated by the earthworms are not further bioaccumulated by earthworm predators.     

Effects of pesticides on 1,3-β-glucanase and urease activities in soil in the presence and absence of fertilisers,lime and organic materials

The effect of four herbicides (2, 4-D, di-allate, benzoylprop-ethyl and glyphosate) and one insecticide (malathion) on 1, 3-β-glucanase and urease activities in soil was investigated in the laboratory. Concentrations equivalent to five times the recommended field application rates of the pesticides, applied as their formulations, had no effect on the activity of either enzyme, under a variety of incubation conditions, which included various moisture regimes and soil treatments. The soil enzyme systems could only be disrupted by unrealistically high dosage rates of the active ingredients (0.1–1.0 g kg^?1 of soil), Thus 1, 3-β-glucanase activity was enhanced by 2, 4-D, inhibited by di-allate, benzoylprop-ethyl and malathion, but unaffected by glyphosate; whereas urease activity was inhibited by 2, 4-D, but unaffected by di-allate, benzoylprop-ethyl and glyphosate.     

Influence of nitrogen fertilisers on the persistence of carbaryl and carbofuran in flooded soils

Ammonium sulphate and urea, but not potassium sulphate, increased the persistence of carbaryl in a flooded laterite soil with a low native nitrogen content (0.04%), but not in an alluvial soil with a higher nitrogen content (0.11%). Thus, NH₄⁺ but not SO₄^2-, contributed to the increased persistence of carbaryl. Likewise, ammonium sulphate increased the persistence of carbofuran in the laterite soil, but not in the alluvial soil. Significant accumulations of 1-naphthol and 2,3-dihydro-2, 2-dimethylbenzofuran-7-ol (‘carbofuran phenol’), in soils treated with carbaryl or carbofuran, suggested hydrolysis as the major pathway of degradation. Treatment of the two soils with ammonium sulphate, urea or potassium sulphate led to a decrease in soil-bound residues and an increase in the respective hydrolysis products, compared with untreated soils. Sorption studies indicated that NH₄⁺ and SO₄^2- compete with carbaryl, 1-naphthol and carbofuran for sorption and exchange sites in the complex soil system. Evolution of [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide from ring-¹⁴C in carbaryl and carbofuran was negligible. Consequently, after 40 days, more than 50% of the ¹⁴C in [¹⁴C]carbaryl and [¹⁴C]carbofuran remained in the soils as hydrolysis products (1-naphthol or 2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethylbenzofuran-7-ol) plus soil-bound residues.     

Determination of extractable and non-extractable radioactivity from prairie soils treated with carboxyl- and ring-labelled [14C]2,4-D

Ring- and carboxyl-labelled [¹⁴C]2,4-D were incubated under laboratory conditions, at the 2 g/g level, in a heavy clay, sandy loam, and clay loam at 85% of field capacity and 20 1C. The soils were extracted at regular intervals for 35 days with aqaeous acidic acetonitrile, and analysed for [¹⁴C]2,4-D and possible radioactive degradation products. Following solvent extraction, a portion of the soil residues were combusted in oxygen to determine unextracted radioactivity as [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide. The remaining soil residues were then treated with aqueous sodium hydroxide, and the radioactivity associated with the fulvic and humic soil components determined. In all soils there was a rapid decrease in the amounts of extractable radioacitivity, with only 5% of that applied being recoverable after 35 days. All recoverable radioactivity was attributable to [¹⁴C]2,4-D, and no [¹⁴C]-containing degradation products were observed. This loss of extractable radioactivity was accompanied by an increase in non-extractable radioactivity. Approximately 15% of the applied radioactivity, derived from carboxyl-labelled [¹⁴C]2,4-D, and 30% from the ring-labelled [¹⁴C]2,4-D was associated with the soil in a non-extractable form, after 35 days of incubation. After 35 days, less than 5% of the radioactivity from the carboxyl-labelled herbicide, and less than 10% of the ringlabelled material, was associated with the fulvic components derived from the three soils. Less than 5% of the applied radioactivities were identifiable with any of the humic acid components. It was considered that during the incubation [¹⁴C]2,4-D did not become bound or conjugated to soil components, and that non-extractable radioactivity associated with the three soil types resulted from incorporation of radioactive degradation products, such as [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide, into soil organic matter.     

Studies on the site of uptake by plants of chlortoluron and terbutryne

Experiments were done to observe the pattern of early root development of radish (Raphanus raphatnistrum L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), the mobility of chlortoluron following application to the soil surface, the effect of protecting the subterranean shoots of four plant species on their response to chlortoluron and terbutryne and the relative quantities of ¹⁴C-labelled chlortoluron taken up by radish and Avenu fatua from root and shoot zone exposure. Both chlortoluron and terbutryne appear to be able to enter the plants examined, Alopecurus myosuroides, Stellaria media, perennial ryegrass and radish, through roots and shoots. It is suggested that shoot uptake is relatively more important for plants like perennial ryegrass than for those whose roots develop more quickly and invade the soil above the seed, such as radish. The quantities of radioactive chlortoluron taken up from soil containing 400 ng g^?1 showed that less than 3 ng per plant could reduce A. fatua fresh weight by 17–40% while over 30 ng per plans had little effect on radish. By comparison 2 kg ha^?1 chlortoluron applied to the soil surface of pots which were sub-irrigated for 3 weeks gave a concentration of 170 ng g^?1 in the layer of soil 10–12 mm from the surface. It is suggested that for shallow germinating species with herbicides of physical and phytotoxic properties similar to chlortoluron, the solvent action of rainfall, together with diffusion, is enough to allow the transport of toxic quantities to the target plant although any leaching action is likely to increase activity.     

Biodegradation of the herbicide bromoxynil and its plant cell wall bound residues in an agricultural soil

The mineralization and formation of metabolites and nonextractable residues of the herbicide [¹⁴C]bromoxyniloctanoate ([¹⁴C]3,5-dibromo-4-octanoylbenzonitrile) and the corresponding agent substance [¹⁴C]bromoxynil ([¹⁴C]3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile) was investigated in a soil from an agricultural site in a model experiment. The mineralization of maize cell wall bound bromoxynil residues was also investigated in the agricultural soil material. The mineralization of [¹⁴C]bromoxynil and [¹⁴C]bromoxyniloctanoate in soil within 60 days amounted up to 42 and 49%, respectively. After the experiments, 52% of the originally applied [¹⁴C]bromoxynil and 44% of the [¹⁴C]bromoxyniloctanoate formed nonextractable residues in soil. Plant cell wall bound [¹⁴C]bromoxynil residues were also mineralized to an extent of about 21% within 70 days; the main portion of 76% persisted as nonextractable residues in the soil. In bacterial enrichment cultures and in soil two polar metabolites were observed; one of it could be identified as 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzoate and the other could be described tentatively as 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzamide.     

Volunteer winter wheat: its effects and control in ryegrass seed production

The effects of different populations of volunteer winter wheal and their control with ethofumesate and TCA on growth, seed yield and yield components of S.24 perennial ryegrass were investigated in lield experiments in 1978 and 1979. Reductions in ryegrass seed yield due to the presence of wheat depended on the density of wheat and the number and dry weight of ryegrass tillers. The greatest percentage reduction in ryegrass seed yield occurred at high densities of wheat (300 plants m^?2) when the number of ear-bearing tillers and 1000 seed weight of ryegrass were reduced. When Ihe density of wheat was low (80 plants m^?2) a smaller reduction in ryegrass seed yield occurred and the number of live wheat plants remaining gradually decreased. Within the range of wheat densities in these experiments (0–300 plants m ^?2) a 1% loss in ryegrass seed yield occurred for every 10 wheal plants m^?2 present in the crop post winter. Both herbicides caused a reduction in number of ryegrass tillers during growth but, except where TCA was applied at 12 kg ha^?1 in November, ryegrass seed yields were not significantly reduced (in comparison with a wheat-free control) and were always greater than those obtained in the presence of wheat where no herbicides had been applied. Levels of volunteer infestation of 300 wheat plants m^?2 were controlled with minimum risk of crop damage by applications of 6 kg ha^?1 TCA in either October or November, or by application of 1–9 kg ha^?1 ethofumesate in November.     

Bound and unextractable pesticidal plant residues: chemical characterization and consumer exposure

Plants are well known to incorporate pesticides into bound and unextractable residues that resist solubilization in common laboratory solvents and are therefore not accessible to standard residue analysis. A characterization of such residues has been proposed for incorporation rates above trigger values of 0.05 mg kg(-1) parent pesticide equivalents, or percentage values of 10% (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1995) or 25% (Commission of the European Communities, 1997) of the total radioactive residue. These trigger values are often exceeded. The present review describes the current status of the chemical characterization and animal bioavailability of bound and unextractable residues that may be xenobiotic in nature or result from natural recycling of simple degradation products. The latter case represents a mechanism of detoxification. Bound residues have been shown to be covalent or non-covalent in nature. With regard to the plant matrix molecules involved, incorporation into proteins, lignins, pectins, hemicelluloses and cutins has been demonstrated, and four covalent linkage types are known. Animal feeding experiments have revealed cases of low as well as high bioavailability. Many of the studies are limited by experimental uncertainties and by results only being reported as relative percentage values rather than absolute exposure. A preliminary value of absolute exposure from bound and unextractable residues is derived here for the first time from eight case studies. The mean exposure (ca 1.5 mg kg(-1) pesticidal equivalents) exceeds some of the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) of residual free pesticides that are typically in the range of 0.05-1 mg kg(-1). A mathematical framework for the correction of current maximum residue levels is presented for cases of highly bioavailable bound residues. As bound pesticidal residues in food plants could represent a source of significant consumer exposure, an experimental test scheme is proposed here. It consists of basic chemical characterization, model digestibility tests and, in exceptional cases, animal bioavailability and additional toxicological studies.     

Spatial and temporal distributions of 1,3-dichloropropene in soil under drip and shank application and implications for pest control efficacy using concentration–time index

A field experiment was conducted to study the spatial and temporal distributions of (EZ)-1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) in the soil and effects on pest control efficacy. An emulsifiable concentrate formulation of 1,3-D (Telone EC) was applied with drip irrigation at 47 kg AI ha⁻¹ to two different depths (2.5 and 20.3 cm, respectively). Comparisons were made between the two drip treatments and a direct shank injection of 1,3-D (Telone II) at 112 kg AI ha⁻¹. Concentrations of 1,3-D in soil air were measured at several locations over time to determine the spatial and temporal characteristics, and to calculate the concentration–time index (CT). Citrus nematodes (Tylenchulus semipenetrans) were placed in the fumigated soil at 25 cm depth and their mortality rates were compared to the calculated CT. Distributions of 1,3-D were found to be relatively uniform in both the drip irrigation and the shank injection treatment. An application rate of 47 kg ha⁻¹ with drip irrigation was sufficient to achieve significant concentration levels in soil beds. Applying 1,3-D with direct shank injection at 112 kg ha⁻¹ extended the measurable concentration levels to the furrows between the soil beds and to a depth of 1 m below the soil surface. Effective control of T. semipenetrans was achieved with both the drip irrigation and the shank injection. A threshold soil 1,3-D CT value of 12 μg h cm⁻³ was needed to reach a 100% efficacy for T. semipenetrans. The study indicates that 1,3-D fumigation may be carried out with drip irrigation at very low rate, and a CT index may be derived to aid in the determination of a minimum effective dosage. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

The uptake of metabolites of permethrin by plants grown in soil treated with [14C]permethrin

Sugar beet, wheat, lettuce and cotton were grown in soil treated with [¹⁴C]permethrin, the crops being sown at intervals of 30, 60 and 120 days after treatment of the soil. The uptake of radioactive residues into these crops was measured. Low radioactive residues (up to 0.86 μg g^?1) were detected in the mature plants sown 30 days after soil treatment, and this uptake declined significantly as the interval between soil treatment and sowing increased. Metabolites derived from the acid moiety of the permethrin molecule were shown to constitute the greater part of the residue transferring from the soil to the crops. (1RS)-cis- and (1RS)-trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)- 2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylic acid and 3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-1-methylcyclopropane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid were identified as the major acidic metabolites. The latter compound is a metabolite of permethrin which has not previously been identified in soil or plants.     

Evidence for 2,4‐D mineralisation in Mediterranean soils: impact of moisture content and temperature

BACKGROUND: The 2,4‐D degradation ability of the microbiota of three arable Mediterranean soils was estimated. The impact of soil moisture and temperature on 2,4‐D degradation was investigated. RESULTS: The microbiota of the three soils regularly exposed to 2,4‐D were able rapidly to mineralise this herbicide. The half‐life of 2,4‐D ranged from 8 to 30 days, and maximum mineralisation of ¹⁴C‐2,4‐D ranged from 57 to 71%. Extractable ¹⁴C‐2,4‐D and ¹⁴C‐bound residues accounted for less than 1 and 15% respectively of the ¹⁴C‐2,4‐D initially added. The highest amounts of ¹⁴C‐2,4‐D bound residues were recorded in the soil with the lowest 2,4‐D‐mineralising ability. Although all three soils were able to mineralise 2,4‐D, multivariate analysis revealed that performance of this degrading microbial activity was dependent on clay content and magnesium oxide. Soil temperature affected the global structure of soil microbial community, but it had only a moderate effect on 2,4‐D‐mineralising ability. 2,4‐D‐mineralising ability was positively correlated with soil moisture content. Negligible 2,4‐D mineralisation occurred in all three soils when incubated at 10 or 15% soil moisture content, i.e. within the range naturally occurring under the Mediterranean climate of Algeria. CONCLUSION: This study shows that, although soil microbiota can adapt to rapid mineralisation of 2,4‐D, this microbial activity is strongly dependent on climatic parameters. It suggests that only limited pesticide biodegradation occurs under Mediterranean climate, and that arable Mediterranean soils are therefore fragile and likely to accumulate pesticide residues. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Sorption–desorption of 'aged' isoxaflutole and diketonitrile degradate in soil

Isoxaflutole is a relatively new herbicide used for weed control in maize. The objective of this research was to increase the understanding of the behaviour and environmental fate of isoxaflutole and its diketonitrile (DKN) degradate in soil, including determination of the strength of sorption to soil and whether sorption is affected by ageing. In sandy loam (SL) and silty clay (SiCl) soils, ¹⁴C‐isoxaflutole was found to dissipate rapidly after application to soil; recovery ranged from ～42% to 68% at week 0, and recovery had decreased to <10% at week 12. Decreases in ¹⁴C isoxaflutole residues over time in SL and SiCl soils are consistent with hydrolysis of isoxaflutole and formation of bound DKN residues in the soil. DKN recovery from freshly treated SiCl and SL soils was 41% to 52%. After a 12‐week incubation in SL soil at pH 7.1 and 8.0, recoveries were similar, ～40%. However, at week 12 in SL soil pH 5.7, DKN recovery decreased to ～28%. DKN recovery in SiCl soil at week 12 was <10%. Increases in sorption of DKN in SL at pH 5.7 and SiCl soil over time indicate that the DKN degradate is tightly bound to the soil and sorption is affected by soil pH and soil type. Sorption of ¹⁴C‐DKN in the SiCl soil more than doubled with ageing compared with the lower K_d sorption coefficient values of the SL soils. In the SiCl soil at time 0, the K_d was 0.6; at 1 week, K_d increased to 2; and at the end of the 12‐week incubation period, K_d was 4.5. This strong binding of DKN to the soil may be due to chelate formation in the interlayer of the clay.     

Effects of application method on the performance of some soil-applied herbicides. I. Glasshouse experiments

Chlortoluron, propyzamide, terbutryne and nitrofen were applied to the soil in pots with a rotary atomizer at 301 ha^?1, with a conventional hydraulic nozzle at 400 1 ha^?1 at several doses, or as discrete 2-μl drops applied with a microsyringe at 2-cm spacings. The test plants were Alopecurus myosuroides, Stellaria media, Chenopodium album, Avena fatua, perennial ryegrass and radish. Chlortoluron, propyzamide and terbutryne had the same activities following the rotary atomizer or conventional spray application but the rotary atomizer application of nitrofen was less effective against A. fatua than the conventional spray treatment. Chlortoluron, propyzamide and terbutryne showed appreciable activity applied as drops 2 cm apart at rates equivalent to 2 kg ai ha^?1, on plants growing equidistant from the drops, but nitrofen showed no activity under these circumstances. The activity of chlortoluron was investigated at different soil moisture contents; it was more active when applied to moist soil than to dry soil which was not wetted for at least 10 h. Application method did not affect this response     

秸秆还田及蚯蚓活动对小麦-玉米轮作下土壤水分运移的影响

为探讨关中平原小麦-玉米水分高效利用的栽培技术方式,采用田间定点观测方法,研究秸秆还田+接种蚯蚓处理对土壤含水量的影响。设置CK(对照)、S₁(秸秆还田3 000 kg·hm^-2)、S₂(秸秆还田6 000 kg·hm^-2)、E(接种蚯蚓)、S₁E(秸秆还田3 000 kg·hm^-2+接种蚯蚓)、S₂E(秸秆还田6 000 kg·hm^-2+接种蚯蚓)共6个处理。结果表明：各处理较CK处理均提高了土壤含水量,S₁、S₂、E、S₁E、S₂E处理下土壤含水量分别增加0.21%～27.47%、0.43%～32.85%、1.00%～15.53%、3.25%～36.52%、2.97%～51.24%。CK、S₁、S₂、E、S₁E、S₂E处理下土壤含水量分...     

Residualwirkung von Chlortriazin-Herbiziden im Boden an drei rumänischen Standorten. II. Prognose möglicher Folgekulturen bei Atrazinrükständen im Boden

Residual effects of chlorotriazine herbicides in soil at three Rumanian sites. II. Prediction of the phytotoxicity of atrazine residues to following crops Total and plant-available atrazine residues in the top 10 cm soil were measured 120 days after application of 3 kg ai ha^?1 to maize (Zea mays L.) at three sites in Rumania. At one site, similar measurements were made 3?5 years after application of 100 kg ai ha^?1. Plant-available atrazine residues were estimated by extraction of soil samples with water, and by bioassay using Brassica rapa as the test plant. It was calculated that between 30 and 120μg atrazine 1^?1 was potentially available to plants in the different soils. Dose-response relationships for atrazine and the most important rotational crops with maize in Rumania—sunflower, winter wheat, soybean and flax—were determined in hydroponic culture using herbicide concentrations corresponding with the plant-available fractions measured in the different soils. ED₅₀ values were determined by probit analysis and the results showed that sunflower (ED₅₀, 22μg 1^?1) was the most sensitive crop, and soybean (ED₅₀, 78μg 1^?1) was the least. The residual phytotoxicity of atrazine to succeeding crops in the different soils was predicted using the appropriate availability and phytotoxicity data, and the results showed good agreement with those observed. The results suggest that measurements of plant-available herbicide residues afford a rapid method of assessing possible phytotoxicity to following crops.     

Chlorpyrifos degradation in soil at termiticidal application rates

Chlorpyrifos [O,O-diethyl O-(3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridyl) phosphorothioate] is an organophosphorus insecticide applied to soil to control pests both in agricultural and in urban developments. Typical agricultural soil applications (0.56 to 5.6 kg ha^?1) result in initial soil surface residues of 0.3 to 32 μg g^?1. In contrast, termiticidal soil barrier treatments, a common urban use pattern, often result in initial soil residues of 1000 μg g^?1 or greater. The purpose of the present investigation was to understand better the degradation of chlorpyrifos in soil at termiticidal application rates and factors affecting its behaviour. Therefore, studies with [¹⁴C]chlorpyrifos were conducted under a variety of conditions in the laboratory. Initially, the degradation of chlorpyrifos at 1000 μg g^?1 initial concentration was examined in five different soils from termite-infested regions (Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Texas) under standard conditions (25°C, field moisture capacity, darkness). Degradation half-lives in these soils ranged from 175 to 1576 days. The major metabolite formed in chlorpyrifos-treated soils was 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyrid-inol, which represented up to 61% of applied radiocarbon after 13 months of incubation. Minor quantities of [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide (< 5%) and soil-bound residues (? 12%) were also present at that time. Subsequently, a factorial experiment examining chlorpyrifos degradation as affected by initial concentration (10, 100, 1000 μg g^?1), soil moisture (field moisture capacity, 1.5 MPa, air dry), and temperature 15, 25, 35°C) was conducted in the two soils which had displayed the most (Texas) and least (Florida) rapid rates of degradation. Chlorpyrifos degradation was significantly retarded at the 1000 μg g^?1 rate as compared to the 10 μg g^?1 rate. Temperature also had a dramatic effect on degradation rate, which approximately doubled with each 10°C increase in temperature. Results suggest that the extended (3–24 + years) termiticidal efficacy of chlorpyrifos observed in the field may be due both to the high initial concentrations employed (termite LC ₅₀ = 0.2– 2 μg g^?1) and the extended persistence which results from employment of these rates. The study also highlights the importance of investigating the behaviour of a pesticide under the diversity of agricultural and urban use scenarios in which it is employed.     

Mineralization of [14C] glyphosate and its plant-associated residues in arable soils originating from different farming systems

The biomineralization of [¹⁴C]glyphosate, both in the free state and as ¹⁴C-residues associated with soybean cell-wall material, was studied in soil samples from four different agricultural farming systems. After 26 days, [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide production from free glyphosate accounted for 34–51% of the applied radiocarbon, and 45–55% was recovered from plant-associated residues. For three soils, the cumulative [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide production from free glyphosate was positively correlated with soil microbial biomass, determined by substrate-induced heat output measurement and by total adenylate content. The fourth soil, originating from a former hop plantation, and containing high concentrations of copper from long-term fungicide applications, did not fit this correlation but showed a significantly higher [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide production per unit of microbial biomass. Although the cumulative [¹⁴C]carbon dioxide production from plant-associated ¹⁴C-residues after 26 days was as high as from the free compound, it was not correlated with the soil microbial biomass. This indicates that the biodegradation of plant-associated herbicide residues, in contrast to that of the free compound, involves different degradation processes. These encompass either additional steps to degrade the plant matrix, presumably performed by different soil organisms, or fewer degradation steps since the plant-associated herbicide residues are likely to consist mainly of easily degradable metabolites. Moreover, the bioavailability of plant-associated pesticide residues seems to be dominated by the type and strength of their fixation in the plant matrix. ©1997 SCI     

Characterization of residues in soybeans grown in soil treated with 1,3-dichloropropene soil fumigant

The metabolism of cis- and trans-1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) was studied in soybean plants grown in soil treated 24 days prior to planting with [U-¹⁴C]E- and Z-1,3-dichloropropene at 380 liters ha^?1. Isolation and identification of the ¹⁴C residue from soybean plants at 84 days (forage) and 176 days (mature) after application showed that no 1,3-dichloropropene or its putative metabolites, 3-chloroallyl alcohol and 3-chloroacrylic acid, could be detected in any of the tissues. The components of the ¹⁴C residue included major plant constituents (i.e. fatty acids, protein, pigments, organic acids, sucrose and other carbohydrates, and lignin).