Dissipation of Herbicides at Three Soil Depths

Abstract

Twelve locations in the United States and Puerto Rico were the sites for determining the loss of 2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropylamino-s-triazine (atrazine) and 2,3,6-trichlorophenylacetic acid (fenac) from soil. The herbicides were contained in tubes (1.88 by 6 inches) placed at depths of 3, 9, and 15 inches in the field. The samples were placed horizontally to minimize losses due to vertical movement of water from the tubes. After at least 3 months in the soil, the samples were returned to Beltsville and analyzed. Average recoveries showed 61% more atrazine and 41% more fenac from the 15-inch depth than from the 3-inch depth. Five northern samples contained more than twice as much atrazine and fenac residue as four southern samples. A positive correlation existed between fenac retention and soil organic matter content. Increasing soil organic matter and depth of placement, and decreasing temperature, tended to make the herbicides more persistent. However, the data were quite variable and the variations were often unexplainable.