Sorption–desorption of ‘aged’ isoxaflutole and diketonitrile degradate in soil

Abstract

SummaryIsoxaflutole is a relatively new herbicide used for weed control in maize. The objective of this research was to increase the understanding of the behaviour and environmental fate of isoxaflutole and its diketonitrile (DKN) degradate in soil, including determination of the strength of sorption to soil and whether sorption is affected by ageing. In sandy loam (SL) and silty clay (SiCl) soils, 14C‐isoxaflutole was found to dissipate rapidly after application to soil; recovery ranged from ∼42% to 68% at week 0, and recovery had decreased to <10% at week 12. Decreases in 14C isoxaflutole residues over time in SL and SiCl soils are consistent with hydrolysis of isoxaflutole and formation of bound DKN residues in the soil. DKN recovery from freshly treated SiCl and SL soils was 41% to 52%. After a 12‐week incubation in SL soil at pH 7.1 and 8.0, recoveries were similar, ∼40%. However, at week 12 in SL soil pH 5.7, DKN recovery decreased to ∼28%. DKN recovery in SiCl soil at week 12 was <10%. Increases in sorption of DKN in SL at pH 5.7 and SiCl soil over time indicate that the DKN degradate is tightly bound to the soil and sorption is affected by soil pH and soil type. Sorption of 14C‐DKN in the SiCl soil more than doubled with ageing compared with the lower Kd sorption coefficient values of the SL soils. In the SiCl soil at time 0, the Kd was 0.6; at 1 week, Kd increased to 2; and at the end of the 12‐week incubation period, Kd was 4.5. This strong binding of DKN to the soil may be due to chelate formation in the interlayer of the clay.