Quantitative bioassays for determining residues and availability to plants of sulphonylurea herbicides

Abstract

SummaryA bioassay procedure for quantitative determination of sulphonylurea herbicides is described. Turnips (Brassica rapa) were found very suitable as test plants and gave results within 10 days. Six sulphonylurea compounds were investigated for their activity in three widely differing soils. The potential availability to plants was calculated from the dose‐response curves of vermiculite (non‐sorptive substrate) and the corresponding ED50‐values of the soils. The dose‐response relationship (logistic curve) was described by a computer model by a position parameter, the slope of the curve and the minimum and maximum fresh weights of plants. The limit of quantitative detection in the range of ED30 in vermiculite was 0·06 μg 1−1 for sulfometuron and 1·03 μg 1−1 for DPX‐L5300, methy12‐([4‐methoxy‐6‐methyl‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl (methyl)carbamoyl]‐sulphamoyl) benzoate. Results with turnips showed that sulfometuron was the most active compound in all substrates (ED50 in vermiculite 0·12 μg 1−1) followed by chlorsulfuron, metsulfuron‐methyl, triasulfuron, DPX‐M6316, methyl 3‐([(4‐methoxy‐6‐methyl‐1,3,5‐triazin‐2‐yl)aminocarbamoyl]‐aminosulphaphamoyl)‐2‐thiophenecarboxylate, and DPX‐L5300 which had ED50 or 1·98 μg 1−1, The Horotiu sandy loam soil showed the highest ED50‐values and the lowest plant availability for all compounds compared to the other soils. Probit and logistic evaluation methods for deriving dose‐response relationships are compared and their applicability is discussed.