Numerical modeling of diazinon transport through inter-row vegetative filter strips

Abstract A numerical simulation model of pesticide runoff through vegetative filer strips (PRVFS) was developed as a tool for investigating the effects of pesticide transport mechanisms on VFS design in dormant-sprayed orchard. The PRVFS model was developed applying existing theories such as kinematic wave theory and mixing zone theory for pesticide transport in the bare soil area. For VFS area, the model performs flow routing by simple mass accounting in sequential segments and the pesticide mass balance by considering pesticide washoff and adsorption processes on the leaf, vegetative litter, root zone and soil. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that pesticide transfer from surface soil to overland flow and pesticide washoff from the VFS were important mechanisms affecting diazinon transport. The VFS cover ratio and rainfall intensity can be important design parameters for controlling diazinon runoff using inter-row VFS in orchard. The PRVFS model was validated using micro-ecosystem simulation of diazinon transport for 0, 50 and 100% VFS cover conditions. The PRVFS model is shown to be a beneficial tool for evaluating and analyzing possible best management practices for controlling offsite runoff of dormant-sprayed diazinon in orchards during the rainy season.

Mesozoic origin and ‘out-of-India’ radiation of ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae)

The Indian subcontinent has an origin geologically different from Eurasia, but many terrestrial animal and plant species on it have congeneric or sister species in other parts of Asia, especially in the Southeast. This faunal and floral similarity between India and Southeast Asia is explained by either of the two biogeographic scenarios, ‘into-India’ or ‘out-of-India’. Phylogenies based on complete mitochondrial genomes and five nuclear genes were undertaken for ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae) to examine which of these two biogeographic scenarios fits better. We found that Oryzias setnai, the only adrianichthyid distributed in and endemic to the Western Ghats, a mountain range running parallel to the western coast of the Indian subcontinent, is sister to all other adrianichthyids from eastern India and Southeast–East Asia. Divergence time estimates and ancestral area reconstructions reveal that this western Indian species diverged in the late Mesozoic during the northward drift of the Indian subcontinent. These findings indicate that adrianichthyids dispersed eastward ‘out-of-India’ after the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia, and subsequently diversified in Southeast–East Asia. A review of geographic distributions of ‘out-of-India’ taxa reveals that they may have largely fuelled or modified the biodiversity of Eurasia.journal articl

Simulating concentration of bensulphuron-methyl in a drainage canal of a paddy block using a rice pesticide model

A pesticide fate and transport model (PCPF-B) was developed to predict the runoff of pesticides from paddy plots to a drainage canal in a paddy block based on the plot scale model (PCPF-1). The block-scale model now comprises three modules: (1) a module for pesticide application, (2) a module for pesticide behaviour in paddy fields, and (3) a module for pesticide concentration in the drainage canal. The PCPF-B model was first evaluated using published data in a single plot and then was applied to predict the concentration of bensulphuron-methyl in one paddy block in the Sakura river basin, Ibaraki, Japan, where a detailed field survey was conducted. The PCPF-B model simulated well the concentration of bensulphuron-methyl in individual paddy plots. It also reflected the runoff pattern of bensulphuron-methyl at the block outlet, although overestimation of bensulphuron-methyl concentrations occurred due to uncertainty in water balance estimation. A sensitivity analysis showed that the soil adsorption coefficient of the herbicide had the greatest influence on the concentrations and cumulative loss of bensulphuron-methyl to the drainage canal

Analysis of parameter uncertainty and sensitivity in PCPF-1 modeling for predicting concentrations of rice herbicides

This paper demonstrates the procedures for probabilistic assessment of a pesticide fate and transport model, PCPF-1, to elucidate the modeling uncertainty using the Monte Carlo technique. Sensitivity analyses are performed to investigate the influence of herbicide characteristics and related soil properties on model outputs using four popular rice herbicides: mefenacet, pretilachlor, bensulfuron-methyl and imazosulfuron. Uncertainty quantification showed that the simulated concentrations in paddy water varied more than those of paddy soil. This tendency decreased as the simulation proceeded to a later period but remained important for herbicides having either high solubility or a high 1st-order dissolution rate. The sensitivity analysis indicated that PCPF-1 parameters requiring careful determination are primarily those involve with herbicide adsorption (the organic carbon content, the bulk density and the volumetric saturated water content), secondary parameters related with herbicide mass distribution between paddy water and soil (1st-order desorption and dissolution rates) and lastly, those involving herbicide degradations

イミダクロプリドの製剤および施用方法の違いが 水田に生息する水生昆虫に及ぼす影響

The abundance of larvae of midge and mayfly, Cloeon dipterum (Linnaeus), in paddy plots with conventional release granular formulation corresponding to before transplanting treatment in nursery boxes(BT treatment), was significantly lower than in control plots 14 days after transplanting (DAT), but species abundance in BT plots was significantly higher than in control plots at 28 DAT. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the abundance of aquatic insects, including midge and mayfly larvae, in paddy plots with controlled release granular formulation, corresponding to at sowing treatment in nursery boxes (AS treatment), and control plots at 14 and 28 DAT. Moreover, for introduced nymphs of ferocious water bug, Appasus japonicas Vuillefroy, paralysis occurred in greater frequency in BT plots than in AS plots

Determination of tricyclazole in water using solid phase extraction and liquid chromatography

A method for determination of tricyclazole in water using solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection at 230nm and a mobile phase of acetonitrile:water (20:80, v/v) was developed. A performance comparison between two types of solid phase sorbents, the C18 sorbent of Supelclean ENVI-18 cartridge and the styrene-divinyl benzene copolymer sorbent of Sep-Pak PS2-Plus cartridge was conducted. The Sep-Pak PS2-Plus cartridges were found more suitable for extracting tricyclazole from water samples than the Supelclean ENVI-18 cartridges. For this cartridge, both methanol and ethyl acetate produced good results. The method was validated with good linearity and with a limit of detection of 0.008gL-1 for a 500-fold concentration through the SPE procedure. The recoveries of the method were stable at 80% and the precision was from 1.1-6.0% within the range of fortified concentrations. The validated method was also applied to measure the concentrations of tricyclazole in real paddy water

Prediction of the fate of oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid in a fish pond using simulation model: A preliminary study

The fate of two popular antibiotics, oxytetracycline and oxolinic acid, in a fish pond were simulated using a computational model. The VDC model, which is designed based on a model for predicting pesticide fate and transport in paddy fields, was modified to take into account the differences between the pond and the paddies as well as those between the fish and the rice plant behaviors. The pond conditions were set following the typical practice in South East Asia aquaculture. The two antibiotics were administered to the animal in the pond through medicated feed during a period of 5 days as in actual practice. Concentrations of oxytetracycline in pond water were higher than those of oxolinic acid at the beginning of the simulation. Dissipation rate of oxytetracycline is also higher as it is more readily available for degradation in the water. For the long term, oxolinic acid was present at higher concentration than oxytetracycline in pond water as well as pond sediment. The simulated results were expected to be conservative and can be useful for the lower tier assessment of exposure risk of veterinary medicine in aquaculture industry but more data are needed for the complete validation of the model

Behavior of simetryn and thiobencarb in rice paddy lysimeters and the effect of excess water storage depth in controlling herbicide run-off

Eight small-scale lysimeters with different excess water storage depths (EWSDs) were used to investigate the behavior of two herbicides, simetryn and thiobencarb, under paddy conditions. The concentration of simetryn dissipated similarly in all the lysimeters, while the thiobencarb concentration varied significantly because thiobencarb can adsorb onto the dissolved organic matter in a manure slurry, which was applied to six of the lysimeters. The herbicide losses (the percentage of the applied mass) from the lysimeters were reversely proportional with the EWSD. The correlation was stronger for simetryn than for thiobencarb. An appropriate EWSD is required to effectively prevent herbicide run-off from the paddy field, especially when a rainfall event occurs soon after herbicide application