Effect of crop residue ashes on sorption behavior of herbicides used in the succeeding crop in Indian soils

Abstract

Effect of the wheat straw ash (WSA) on pretilachlor and the rice straw ash (RSA) on sulfosulfuron kinetics and adsorption behavior was studied. Kinetics study suggested that adsorption of herbicides in soil/soil + 0.2% ash mixture was best explained by the pseudo second order model. Ashes at 0.1%–0.5% levels increased adsorption of respective herbicide; but, effect varied with ash content and soil type. Effect of ash (0.2%) on herbicide’s adsorption was more in the sandy loam soil (144%–188%) than in the clay loam soil (112%–122%) suggesting masking of ash particles. The Freundlich adsorption isotherm explained the adsorption of herbicides in the soils/soil + ash mixtures and sorption was highly nonlinear as 1/n (slope) values varied between 0.57 and 1.25 for pretilachlor and 0.32 and 0.77 for sulfosulfuron. Adsorption increased with increase in temperature. High surface area unburnt carbon in ashes was responsible for increase in adsorption and decrease in desorption of herbicides in ash mixed soils. The pH of soil/soil + ash mixtures affected herbicide adsorption, but effect was significant for pretilachlor. The negative free energy change (ΔG) values suggested that the sorption process was exothermic and spontaneous in nature. This study has implications in identifying the role of crop residue burning on fate of herbicides applied in succeeding crop.