The influence of soil properties on the rates of degradation of metamitron,metazachlor and metribuzin

The rates of degradation of metamitron, metazachlor and metribuzin were measured in 12 mineral soils and the first order rate constants were compared with soil properties by regression analysis. Rates of metamitron degradation were best described by a multiple regression involving the silt content of the soil and the fraction of the total herbicide content which was available in the soil solution. Metazachlor degradation was best described by a multiple regression involving the sand content of the soil, the availability of the herbicide in the soil solution and soil microbial respiration. There was evidence that metribuzin degradation in any one soil was closely related to microbial activity, and rate constants per unit microbial respiration were derived for each soil. These rate constants were best described by a multiple regression involving the Freundlich adsorption constant and the sand content of the soils. The best regression equations for each herbicide were tested against observed degradation rates in an additional group of six soils. The calculated rates compared favourably with those observed for both metamitron and metazachlor, but with metribuzin, there was good agreement with one soil only.     

除草剂使用问题及对策

在除草剂使用中存在苗前用量偏低或低 ,整地质量差 ,施药过晚 ,土壤干旱 ;苗后施药期天气干旱 ,高温或喷液量过大 ,施药时期偏晚 ,混用不当 ;喷洒器械及喷洒技术落后等影响了药效 ,苗前除草剂应根据土壤有机质及质地确定用药量。采用混土施药法适期施药 ,苗后应因杂草叶龄确定施药时期。混用除草剂选择比例 ,干旱条件下施药时药液中加植物油喷雾助剂 ,选择合适的喷洒器械 ,使用前应进行调整     

Persistence and management of enhanced carbetamide biodegradation in soil

The extent of enhanced degradation of the herbicide carbetamide declined over time after herbicide application was discontinued. The kinetics of carbetamide degradation were determined in the same soil for three consecutive years (1994–96) after single annual applications from 1989 to 1992. The DT₅₀ of carbetamide increased from 5.4 d in 1994 to 10.2 d in 1996. However, this was still less than the DT₅₀ in previously untreated soil (23–44 d). A most probable number (MPN) assay demonstrated a link between carbetamide degradation rate and the numbers of micro-organisms capable of carbetamide mineralization. Degradation of six other herbicides was assayed in the carbetamide-pretreated and the previously untreated soils. Propham was the only herbicide which degraded more rapidly in the soil with a history of carbetamide application. Rapid degradation of chlorpropham, a herbicide structurally similar to carbetamide and propham, and propyzamide, a herbicide with similar mode of action and weed control spectrum, was not observed. The results suggest that enhanced biodegradation of carbetamide can be managed by less frequent carbetamide application as a part of a herbicide rotation involving compounds which are structurally dissimilar.     

Simulation of atrazine persistence in Spanish soils

The persistence of atrazine was monitored in three fields at different sites in Spain during two consecutive years (1990 and 1991). Laboratory assays for determining the influence of temperature and soil moisture content on the rate of herbicide degradation were carried out on soil samples from the same fields. The degradation constants derived from these assays, together with weather records for the period of the field experiments, were used in a computer program which simulated herbicide persistence in the field. Some adjustments were made to adapt the model to Spanish conditions. The model predicted with reasonable accuracy the persistence of the herbicide in two soils, although there was a tendency to overestimate the residues at early dates. Discrepancies between predicted and measured residues were greater in the third soil, due to rapid initial losses that were not predicted by the program. In this case, the agreement was improved if the program was run taking time zero to be one month after herbicide application. Possible reasons for these discrepancies are discussed.     

The degradation of simazine, linuron and propyzamide in different soils

Simazine, linuron and propyzamide were incubated in 18 different soils at 25°C and field capacity soil moisture content. The degradation of each herbicide followed first-order kinetics. The half-life of simazine varied from 20 to 44 days, that of linuron from 22 to 86 days and that of propyzamide from 10 to 32 days. The rate of linuron degradation was highly significantly correlated with soil organic matter content, clay content, soil respiration and the extent of herbicide adsorption by the soil. The rate of simazine degradation was significantly and negatively correlated with soil pH, but the rate of propyzamide degradation was not related with any of the soil factors examined.     

The basis of selectivity of 4-(2, 6-dichlorobenzyloxymethyl)-4-ethyl-2, 2-dimethyl-1, 3-dioxolan (WL 29, 226), a new pre-emergence herbicide for use in cereals

A series of pot experiments were undertaken to assess the selectivity of the pre-emergence herbicide 4-(2, 6-dichlorobenzyloxymethyl)-4-ethyl-2, 2, -dimethyl-1, 3-dioxolan (WL 29,226) against a number of annual weeds in wheat. When applied at dose rates of 0.5–2 kg/ha it gave good control of a number of annual monocotyledonous weeds, including Alopecurus myosuroides (blackgrass), without any adverse effects on the crop. WL 29,226 is relatively immobile in soil, remaining at the soil surface and thus favouring uptake via the emerging shoot. Since WL 29,226 is transported predominantly via the xylem, to reach its site of action in the regions of cell division, and hence to be effective, the compound has to penetrate the shoot either at or below the stem apex. The roots are inhibited only when these come into direct contact with the compound. Selectivity of the herbicide is dependent upon the relative anatomical positions of the stem apices of the weeds and the crop with respect to the soil surface. Mesocotyl elongation in many of the weed species was such that the meristematic tissue was raised to the soil surface and into contact with the compound during the emergence of the shoot. In contrast, the stem apex of wheat remained some distance below the soil surface until considerably later, by which time the leaf sheaths offered protection to the meristematic tissue from direct contact with the herbicide. Selectivity is further enhanced in the field as a result of both the depth of planting for wheat and the tendency of many annual weed species to germinate more readily when near the soil surface. Tolerance of the wheat is lost where it germinates in direct contact with the herbicide, due to the lack of any biochemical selectivity. Under field conditions WL 29,226 gives good control of many dicotyledonous species. In pot experiments, however, these exhibit some tolerance to the compound. Radio-tracer studies indicate that the tolerance shown by the shoots of these plants is due to limited transport of the herbicide from the shoot to its site of action at the apex. This suggests that control of broad-leaved weeds occurs predominantly through an inhibition of root growth. However, in species such as sugar-beet, soyabean and cotton a rapid rate of root elongation confers increased tolerance to the compound. Availability of WL 29,226 for uptake by young seedlings is favoured by soil moisture. Low temperatures further improve performance by reducing the rate of shoot emergence and hence prolonging contact with the compound at the most sensitive stage of growth. After emergence uptake of the compound via the shoot becomes a less efficient mode of entry.     

Effect of long‐term field application of pendimethalin: enhanced degradation in soil

The effect of long‐term application of pendimethalin in a maize–wheat rotation on herbicide persistence was investigated. Pendimethalin was applied at 1.5 kg AI ha⁻¹ separately as one or two annual applications for five consecutive years in the same plots. Residues of pendimethalin were determined by gas chromatography. Harvest‐time residues of the herbicide decreased gradually over the years and at the end of five years less than 3% of applied pendimethalin was recovered from soil as against 18% in the first year. Residues were found distributed in the soil profile up to 90 cm depth at the end of the experiment with peak distribution of 0.03 µg g⁻¹ in the surface layer of soil treated with 10 herbicide applications. The minimum distribution was, however, in the deepest soil (75–90 cm) profile. Some of the metabolites of pendimethalin ie dealkylated pendimethalin derivative, partially reduced derivative and cyclized product were also traced in surface and sub‐surface soils up to 90 cm. A study of the rate of degradation of pendimethalin in field‐treated soils under laboratory conditions revealed faster degradation compared to control soils. Only the surface soil (0–15 cm) showed this enhanced degradation of the herbicide, which could be due to the adaptability of the aerobic micro‐organisms to degrade pendimethalin. Microbes capable of degrading herbicide were isolated, identified and pendimethalin degradation was confirmed in nutrient broth. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

The effect of the herbicide diuron on soil microbial activity

The inhibitory effect of the herbicide diuron [3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] on microbial activity in red Latosol soil was followed using microcalorimetry. The activity of the micro-organisms in 1.50 g of soil sample was stimulated by addition of 6.0 mg of glucose and 6.0 mg of ammonium sulfate under 35% controlled humidity at 298.15 (+/- 0.02) K. This activity was determined by power-time curves that were recorded for increasing amounts of diuron, varying from zero to 333.33 micrograms g-1 soil. An increase in the amount of diuron in soil caused a decrease of the original thermal effect, to reach a null value above 333.33 micrograms g-1 of herbicide. The power-time curve showed that the lag-phase period and peak time increased with added herbicide. The decrease of the thermal effect evolved by micro-organisms and the increase of the lag-phase period are associated with the death of microbial populations caused by diuron, which strongly affects soil microbial communities.     

Availability of atrazine to plants in different soils

The concentrations of atrazine in the shoots of wheat plants growing in 12 different soils were directly proportional to the soil solution concentrations of herbicide estimated from slurry adsorption measurements. There was a marked discrepancy between the total uptake of herbicide and the amount theoretically supplied by mass-flow in response to transpiration. This discrepancy was less when plants were grown in nutrient solutions. In an experiment with one soil only, the half-life of atrazine was 22 days and when the solution concentration in this soil was corrected for this change, a much closer prediction of atrazine uptake could be obtained. The ways in which interactions between adsorption, breakdown and transpiration rates may affect herbicide toxicity under field conditions are discussed.     

Measurement and simulation of the movement and degradation of atrazine and metribuzin in a fallow soil

The movement and persistence of atrazine and metribuzin, in a sandy loam soil following application in spring, was simulated using two models. The first model, based on the physical laws describing water and solute movement and using measured values of soil hydraulic properties, underestimated herbicide mobility in the soil and predicted too rapid drying of the deeper soil layers. The accuracy of the simulations was improved by empirically reducing the measured hydraulic conductivities by a factor of 4. This probably reflects the difficulties of obtaining reliable measurements of soil hydraulic properties. A second and simpler model, which simulated water and herbicide movement using mobile and immobile water categories, accurately predicted soil water contents. It tended to underestimate herbicide movement at short times after application, and to overestimate movement later in the experiments. A comparison of different methods of simulating herbicide degradation showed that prediction of degradation rates in the field from laboratory data can be unsatisfactory with some compounds.     

Sorption-desorption of flucarbazone and propoxycarbazone and their benzenesulfonamide and triazolinone metabolites in two soils

Sorption-desorption interactions of pesticides with soil determine the availability of pesticides in soil for transport, plant uptake and microbial degradation. These interactions are affected by the physical and chemical properties of the pesticide and soil and, for some pesticides, their residence time in the soil. While sorption-desorption of many herbicides has been characterised, very little work in this area has been done on herbicide metabolites. The objective of this study was to characterise sorption-desorption of two sulfonylaminocarbonyltriazolinone herbicides, flucarbazone and propoxycarbazone, and their benzenesulfonamide and triazolinone metabolites in two soils with different physical and chemical properties. K(f) values for all four chemicals were greater in clay loam soil, which had higher organic carbon and clay contents than loamy sand. K(f-oc) ranged from 29 to 119 for the herbicides and from 42 to 84 for the metabolites. Desorption was hysteretic in every case. Lower desorption in the more sorptive system might indicate that hysteresis can be attributed to irreversible binding of the molecules to soil surfaces. These data show the importance of characterisation of both sorption and desorption of herbicide residues in soil, particularly in the case of prediction of herbicide residue transport. In this case, potential transport of sulfonylaminocarbonyltriazolinone herbicide metabolites would be overpredicted if parent chemical soil sorption values were used to predict transport.     

日本除草剂登记与使用情况概述

本文综述日本在除草剂登记方面的法律依据、基本登记情况、登记资料要求、除草剂使用情况和存在问题等,重点介绍生测资料、残留资料方面的登记要求。日本农作物以水稻为主,整个耕地的70％都用来种植水稻,在水稻上登记的除草剂的要求最高,除了其他旱田登记的资料要求的冲绳试验、作用特性试验、适应性1试验和适应性2试验之外,试验点的数量大幅度增加．所要求的包括13个点的砂壤土试验在内总的试验报告总数在41个以上。日本在除草剂登记管理及使用方面的风险控制经验值得借鉴。     

Availability to plants of herbicide residues in soil. Part II: Data for use in vegetable crop rotations

The response of a variety of vegetable crops to fifteen herbicides was estimated in culture solution over concentration ranges chosen to correspond with those that might occur in soil solution. Examples are given to show how these results can be used, in conjunction with the method for estimating the available herbicide residues (in Part I), to decide which crops may safely be sown in soil containing a herbicide residue.     

Reduced metribuzin pollution with phosphatidylcholine-clay formulations

BACKGROUND: Metribuzin is a widely used herbicide that has been identified as a groundwater contaminant. In this study, slow‐release formulations of metribuzin were designed by encapsulating the active ingredient in phosphatidylcholine (PC) vesicles and adsorbing the vesicles onto montmorillonite. RESULTS: The maximum active ingredient content in the slow‐release formulations was 246 g kg^?1. Infrared spectroscopy results revealed that the hydrophobic interactions between metribuzin and the alkyl chains on PC were necessary for encapsulation. In addition, water bridges connecting the herbicide and the PC headgroup enhanced the solubility of metribuzin in PC. Adsorption experiments in soils were performed to evaluate the relationship between sorption and leaching. Funnel experiments in a sandy soil revealed that the herbicide was not irreversibly retained in the formulation matrix. In soil column experiments, PC–clay formulations enhanced herbicide accumulation and biological activity in the top soil layer relative to a commercial formulation. PC–clay formulations also reduced the dissipation of metribuzin by a factor of 1.6–2.5. CONCLUSIONS: A reduction in the recommended dose of metribuzin can be achieved by employing PC–clay formulations, which reduces the environmental risk associated with herbicide applications. Moreover, PC and montmorillonite are non‐toxic and do not negatively affect the environment. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Pre-treatment environmental effects on the uptake, translocation, metabolism and performance of fluazifop-butyl in Elymus repens

The performance of fluazifop-butyl against Elymus repens (L.) Gould was significantly influenced by the environmental conditions in which the plants had grown prior to treatment as follows: soil moisture deficit (greatest reduction of herbicide performance) > cool temperatures > low light intensity. The level of control under conditions in which none of these factors was reduced (so-called ‘standard’ conditions) was similar to that observed for‘low light’regime plants. Significant effects of environment on spray retention, foliar uptake and amounts of herbicide translocated to the roots and rhizomes were observed. The lowest rates of herbicide uptake were found with plants grown under cool conditions, the greatest amount of basipetal herbicide translocation being associated with low light intensities. Rates of herbicide de-esterification were much lower in plants grown under low light intensities, cool temperatures, or soil moisture deficits than in those plants grown under the ‘standard’ conditions. This result was confirmed by studies of herbicide deesterification using cell-free leaf homogenates.     

The uptake of soil-applied chlorotriazines by seedlings and its prediction

¹⁴C-labelled atrazine or terbuthylazine was applied to the surface of soil columns 100 mm deep and the uptake by oat seedlings measured for up to 24 days after germination following two contrasting rainfall treatments. Attempts were made to predict measured uptake on the basis of mass flow theory given also measurements of transpiration rates, water, rooting and herbicide distribution profiles in the soil, and soil adsorption characteristics. Predictions over a tenfold range of uptake were close enough to suggest that the assumptions made to predict mass flow uptake were essentially correct. Discrepancies appeared to result principally from (i) shoot-zone uptake, and (ii) incorrect prediction of long-term herbicide adsorption in undisturbed soil. Greater attention to the effect of herbicide on transpiration rates and to the patterns of water uptake by roots should improve the accuracy of such predictions. The various factors that influence the mass flow uptake of chlorotriazines in the soil surface by seedlings are discussed as a basis for modelling herbicide uptake.     

Persistence and movement of ethofumesate in soil*

Persistence of ethofumesate [(±)2-ethoxy-2.3-dihydro-3,3-dimethylbenzofuran-5-yl-methansulphonate] in soil was associated with soil temperature. Ethofumesate applied at 4.5 kg/ha in November persisted about twice as long in soil as that applied the following March. In another field study, 88–91% of the herbicide had dissipated after 24 weeks in sandy loam soil, compared to 72–77% in loam soil when it was applied at rates of 2.2, 3.4, 4.5, and 9.0 kg/ha. The rate of degradation was independent of the initial rate of chemical applied. The time required for 50% of the herbicide to dissipate in sandy loam and loam soils was 7.7 and 12.6 weeks, respectively. The movement of ethofumesate in these two soils over a 24-weeks sampling period was confined mainly to the upper 7.5 cm of the soil profile.     

Rate of bentazone transformation in four layers of a humic sandy soil profile with fluctuating water table

The rate of transformation of a pesticide as a function of the depth in the soil is needed as an input into computations on the risk of residues leaching to groundwater. The herbicide bentazone was incubated at 15 °C in soil materials derived from four layers at depths of up to 2.5 m in a humic sandy soil profile with a fluctuating water table (0.8 to 1.4 m), while simulating the redox conditions existing in the field. Gamma‐irradiation experiments indicated that bentazone is mainly transformed by microbial activity in the soil. The rate constant for transformation was highest in the humic sandy top layer; it decreased with depth in the sandy vadose subsoil. However, material from the top of the phreatic aquifer had a higher rate constant than that from the layers just above. The presence of fossil organic material in the fluviatile water‐saturated sediment probably stimulated microbial activity and bentazone transformation. The changes in the transformation rate constant with depth showed the same trend as those in some soil factors, viz organic carbon content, water‐extractable phosphorus and microbial density as measured by fluorescence counts. However, the (low) concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the top of the aquifer did not fit the trend. The rate constant for bentazone transformation in the layers was higher at lower initial contents of the herbicide. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Study of diuron in soil solution by means of a novel simple technique using glass microfibre filters

Retention by a glass fibre filter of the liquid phase of a clay loam soil treated with ¹⁴C-diuron provides a novel method for analysis of the herbicide in soil solution. At 26.3% (w/w) soil moisture content, less than 10% of the applied diuron was found in solution, and this percentage decreased slightly with diuron dose. The herbicide was rapidly adsorbed on soil during the first day, but adsorption continued and the concentration of diuron in solution could be further reduced by 36–50% during the following 6 days. Drying the soil after treatment, with possible crystallization of herbicide applied at high doses, tended to fix the solution concentrations. Ethanol (3% v/v) in soil water favoured herbicide dissolution. Increasing soil moisture to 36.3% (w/w) slightly decreased the concentration of the herbicide in solution, but increased the percentage held in solution. Frost and a drying-rewetting cycle had little or no subsequent effect on diuron concentration in soil solution.     

Evidence for the Accelerated Degradation of Isoproturon in Soils

The herbicide isoproturon was degraded rapidly in a sandy loam soil under laboratory conditions (incubation temperature, 15°C; soil moisture potential, -33 kPa). Degradation was inhibited following treatment of the soil with the antibiotic chloramphenicol, but unaffected by treatment with cycloheximide, thus indicating an involvement of soil bacteria. Rapid degradation was not observed with other phenylurea herbicides, such as diuron, linuron, monuron or metoxuron incubated in the same soil under the same experimental conditions. Three successive applications of isoproturon to ten soils differing in their physicochemical properties and previous cropping history induced rapid degradation of the herbicide in most of them under laboratory conditions. There were, however, no apparent differences in ease of induction of rapid degradation between soils which had been treated with isoproturon for the last five years in the field and those with no pre-treatment history. A mixed bacterial culture able to degrade isoproturon in liquid culture was isolated from a soil in which the herbicide degraded rapidly.