Denitrification in soil: Effects of herbicides

The effects of 20 herbicides on denitrification of nitrate in three soils were studied by determining the effects of 10 and 50μgg^?1 soil of each herbicide on the amounts of nitrate lost and the amounts of nitrite, N₂O and N₂ produced when soil samples were incubated anaerobically after treatment with nitrate. The herbicides used were butylate, EPTC, chlorpropham, propham, diuron, linuron, monuron, siduron, alachlor, trifluralin, 2,4-D amine, 2,4-D ester, atrazine, cyanazine, metribuzin, simazine, dalapon, chloramben, dicamba and dinoseb.None of the herbicides studied significantly affected denitrification of nitrate when applied at the rate of 10 μg g^?1 soil, but dinoseb increased the ratio of N₂ to N₂O in the gaseous products of denitrification when applied at this rate. Butylate, EPTC, diuron, simazine and dalapon had no significant effect on denitrification when applied at the rate of 50μgg^?1 soil, whereas metribuzin and dinoseb enhanced denitrification when applied at this rate. The influence of the other herbicides on denitrification when applied at the rate of 50μgg^?1soil depended on the soil, but all enhanced or inhibited denitrification in at least one soil.