Fate of herbicides in soils under different types of land use

Abstract

Contamination of ground water by pesticides is not only caused by their application to agricultural land but also by their use on non-cultivated areas. The objective of this study was to monitor the mobility of three herbicides (simazine, diuron, methabenzthiazuron) in soils under different types of land use (cultivated field, grassland, farm road). For the experimental assessment the herbicides were applied to undisturbed soil cores (diameter 20 cm, depth 40 cm) taken from the selected sites. The lysimeters were maintained under outdoor conditions and disassembled after certain time periods. Leachate and soil layers were analyzed for the active ingredients. Different movement and degradation rates were observed due to the properties of the test substances and soils. The results were compared with data obtained by simulating the movement and degradation of the herbicides using model calculations