Leaching of imidazolinones in soils under a clearfield system

Herbicides with high mobility can leach to deeper layers of the soil and to contaminate underground aquifers. The potential of herbicide leaching in soil can be monitored by chromatography or bioassay methods. This study evaluated the leaching of imazethapyr, imazapic and its commercial mixture (imazethapyr + imazapic) in three tropical soils via a bioassay method. The herbicides were applied in a polyvinyl chloride column and an 80 mm rainfall was simulated. The bioindicator species sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) BRS 655 was sown. Imazethapyr, imazapic and the commercial herbicide mixture showed high leaching in the soils. The presence of imazethapyr and the commercial mixture was detected up to 25 cm deep in Haplic Plinthosol and Oxisol. Imazapic showed less leaching to tree soil, being found at depth 10–15 cm. The pH, texture and iron oxide amount levels affected herbicide leaching. The mobility of the herbicides imazethapyr and imazapic in the Haplic Plinthosol and the Oxisol at depth 25 cm indicates a high risk of groundwater contamination.