Effects of Simulated MSMA Drift on Rice (Oryza sativa). II. Arsenic Residues in Foliage and Grain and Relationships between Arsenic Residues, Rice Toxicity Symptoms, and Yields

Abstract

To simulate the effect of MSMA (monosodium methanearsonate) drift onto rice (Oryza sativaL. 'Starbonnet’ or ‘Labelle′), foliar applications at 0.20 to 0.78 kg/ha were made on rice at stages of maturity ranging from early tillering to panicle emergence. Foliage, sampled 1 to 2 weeks after application, and grain and grain parts harvested at maturity were analyzed by arsine generation atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Washed foliage contained 0.7 to 1.5 ppm background As, and 1 to 21 ppm As after MSMA application. The As content depended on application rate, stage of maturity at application, and the formulation of MSMA. Arsenic concentrations in grain increased exponentially as the time of application approached harvest, ranging from 0.25 to 7 ppm. There was little correlation between grain residues and rates, principally because dependence on the time of application was overriding. This study confirms previous observations that there is a specific stage in rice plant development, probably meiosis, during which rice is susceptible to sterilization by arsenic, and also indicates that significant yield reduction can occur from MSMA drift even when visual injury symptoms are not obvious.