Soil factors influencing atrazine sorption: Implications on fate

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of two soil properties—soil organic carbon (SOC) content and landscape position—and a management factor (tillage) from Iowa and South Carolina soils on the sorption of the herbicide atrazine (6‐chloro‐N‐ethyl‐Nǐ‐(1‐methylethyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diamine) were evaluated to assess their influence on atrazine fate in the soil environment. In both Iowa and South Carolina, the magnitude of atrazine sorption was strongly and positively correlated with SOC, landscape position, and tillage. Landscape position was especially important for Iowa soils because SOC‐enriched depressional areas (potholes) on the Wisconsin glacial surface could sorb more atrazine than soils in sloping positions. Our data suggest that herbicide management strategies such as application rates or herbicide selection will require some adjustments to account for the effects of SOC, landscape position, and tillage management on herbicide sorption in to augment effective weed control and prevent herbicide movement to groundwater.