Persistence and dissipation kinetics of tebuconazole in apple, tomato, chilli and onion crops of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Abstract

Tebuconazole is a broad-spectrum fungicide extensively used worldwide for the control of many diseases such as powdery mildew and scab in apple, early blight of tomato, anthracnose of chilli, white rot and purple blotch of onion etc. Maximum residue level of this compound has not been worked out on these crops in India; the persistence and dissipation kinetics of tebuconazole on apple, tomato, chilli and onion were studied following three foliar applications of the formulation Folicur 430 SC at a standard dose (X) 322, 268.75, 215 and 215g a.i./ha and at double dose (2X) 645, 537.5, 430 and 430g a.i./ha, respectively, to work out the safe waiting periods and half-life period of tebuconazole. Extraction was done using QuEChERS method and cleanup by using dispersive solid-phase method. Tebuconazole residues were estimated on gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The recovery of tebuconazole in fortified matrix was above 90% with a limit of quantification (LOQ) at 0.05mgkg-1. The initial deposits of tebuconazole on apple at two locations under study ranged from 1.986-2.011mgkg-1at X dose to 3.698-3.843mgkg-1 at 2X dose. The initial deposits in tomato, chilli and onion were 1.129, 1.760 and 1.169mgkg-1 at X dose and 2.213, 2.784 and 2.340mgkg-1, respectively at the 2X dose. Dissipation of the fungicide followed first-order of kinetics and the half life of degradation ranged from 1.30-2.25days at X dose to 1.40-2.62days at 2X days on different crops under study. Residues declined below the determination limit (LOQ) of 15 and 20days after spraying, respectively, at X and 2X dose in apple; 7 and 10days in tomato; 10 and 15days in chilli and onion. Waiting periods of 5, 2, 7 and 12days, respectively, are suggested for apple, tomato, chilli and onion at 2X dose.