Evaluation of leaching and degradation rate of metribuzin herbicide in different soils

The intensive and inappropriate use of pesticides caused environment to be contaminated. Quantifying the fate of applied herbicides in the soil is essential for minimizing their mobility in the soil and environmental pollution. The leaching and degradation of the metribuzin herbicide in three soils were investigated under laboratory conditions. Metribuzin was mobile in the soils when tested using non-aged and aged soil columns. The mobility of herbicide in the soil is related to the adsorption phenomenon in the same soil. It was found that the mobility of metribuzin in the soils 7 and 5 (with less organic carbon) was more than the one in the soil 1. The difference in the adsorption affinity of metribuzin in different soils appears to be due to differences in soil properties, such as clay content, organic matter content and pH value. The calculated half-life values in sterile and non-sterile conditions ranged from 37.92 to 105.74 days. Metribuzin persistent in the soil was corresponded to columns 1, 5 and 7 respectively.