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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #103199
Title: ASSESSMENT OF THE MACROPORE COMPONENT OF RZWQM

Author
item Malone, Robert - Rob
item Shipitalo, Martin
item Ma, Liwang
item Ahuja, Lajpat
item Owens, Lloyd

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pesticide movement into subsurface soil and into groundwater is often transported via macropores (worm holes, root channels, etc.). One of the few readily available contaminant transport models that has a macropore component is the Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM). This model has been tested and assessed under numerous conditions but the macropore component is relatively untested. Our objective was to assess the macropore component of the RZWQM using data from undisturbed soil blocks that contained natural macropores. To accomplish this, atrazine and alachlor were surface-applied to 30 by 30 by 30 cm blocks of undisturbed, no-till silt loam soil then the blocks were subjected to a 0.5-hr, 30 min simulated rain. Preliminary results indicate that the RZWQM may adequately simulate pesticide movement through macropores.