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Variation in Atrazine Mineralization Rates in Relation to Agricultural Management Practice
Author(s) -
Ostrofsky Ellen B.,
Traina Samuel J.,
Tuovinen Olli H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1997.00472425002600030009x
Subject(s) - atrazine , mineralization (soil science) , incubation , soil water , laboratory flask , crop rotation , chemistry , loam , zoology , agronomy , environmental chemistry , pesticide , environmental science , biology , crop , soil science , biochemistry
Atrazine (6‐chioro‐ N ‐ethyl‐ N′′ ‐(1‐methylethyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine‐2,4‐diamine) mineralization rates were measured in surface soils with different agricultural management practices at the Ohio Management Systems Evaluation Area (Ohio MSEA) site in Piketon, OH. Two management practices were studied at this site: (i) a continuous‐corn ( Zea mays L.) plot (CC) receiving annual application of atrazine, and (ii) a crop‐rotation plot (CR) with corn‐soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.]‐wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and hairy vetch [ Vicia villosa (L.) Roth] with reduced use of atrazine during corn years. Soil collected from a riparian zone (RZ) near the site served as an herbicide‐free reference soil. The agricultural site (both CC and CR) had received atrazine applications for about 25 yr before this study. Uniformly ring‐labeled 14 C‐atrazine was added to the soil samples in biometer flasks and 14 CO 2 evolution was measured by scintillation counting of alkaline trapping solution. Sterile controls showed no evolution of 14 CO 2 . Within 30 d of incubation at 22 ± 2°C, about 80% of the initial radioactivity was evolved as 14 CO 2 in CC soils collected during different seasons of the year. Parallel samples from CR showed 15 to 30% atrazine mineralization while samples from RZ showed 3 to 7% 14 CO 2 evolution within 80 d of incubation. Prior amendment of soil samples from the three sites with 1 mg kg −1 atrazine accelerated subsequent mineralization measured after 90 d of incubation, indicating enhanced activity of indigenous microorganisms. The CC mineralization data suggest that a single annual atrazine application sustains an active microbial community throughout the year.