Sulfentrazone mobility in columns filled with ultisol and oxisol horizons

• Published in: Environmental earth sciences Vol. 81; no. 3
• Main Authors: Júnior, Lucas Heringer Barcellos, da Silva, Elisa Maria Gomes, de Aguiar, Adalin Cezar Moraes, Souza, Paulo Sérgio Ribeiro, de Paula, Dilma Francisca, da Silva, Antonio Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-02-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biogeosciences; Columns (structural); Contamination; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental Science and Engineering; Geochemistry; Geology; Groundwater; Groundwater pollution; Herbicides; Heterogeneity; Hydrology/Water Resources; Leaching; Original Article; Soil; Soil contamination; Soil horizons; Soil profiles; Soil properties; Soil surfaces; Soils; Soybeans; Subsurface water; Sugarcane; Terrestrial Pollution; Weed control; Weeds; Environmental contamination; Groundwater; Soil profile; Leaching; Soil depth; Herbicide
• ISSN: 1866-6280; 1866-6299
• DOI: 10.1007/s12665-021-10165-z

Sulfentrazone is an important herbicide in the management of weeds that are difficult to control in crops such as soybeans and sugarcane. With the increase in cases of herbicide-resistant weeds, the trend is that pre-emergence application of sulfentrazone will be more widespread in the coming years. This may result in a greater likelihood of contamination of subsurface waters. Thus, it is essential to understand sulfentrazone leaching, considering the chemical, physical and structural heterogeneity that exists along the soil profile to estimate the potential for contamination of this herbicide in the soil more accurately. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate sulfentrazone leaching in horizons A, B, and C as well as their mixtures, AB and ABC, in an Ultisol and an Oxisol. The test was performed using 50-cm columns containing the soil horizons subjected to 60 mm of precipitation. Sulfentrazone leaching presented the following increasing order in Ultisol: A < AB < ABC < B < C, and in the Oxisol, it was A < ABC < AB < C < B. Therefore, sulfentrazone leaching occurs heterogeneously in Ultisol and Oxisol profiles and the influence of the horizons on sulfentrazone leaching is different between soils since they have different natures from their formation. Furthermore, sulfentrazone leaching is facilitated in the deeper horizons of both soils, which increases the potential for groundwater contamination when this herbicide exceeds the first 10 cm of the soil surface.