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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #346630
Research Project: Developing Agricultural Practices to Protect Water Quality and Conserve Water and Soil Resources in the Upper Midwest United States

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Off-site transport of fungicides with runoff: A comparison of flutolanil and pentachloronitrobeneze applied to creeping bentgrass managed as a golf course fairway

Author
item Rice, Pamela
item HORGAN, BRIAN - University Of Minnesota
item Hamlin, Jennifer

Submitted to: Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/25/2018
Publication Date: 8/15/2018
Citation: Rice, P.J., Horgan, B.P., Hamlin, J.L. 2018. Off-site transport of fungicides with runoff: A comparison of flutolanil and pentachloronitrobeneze applied to creeping bentgrass managed as a golf course fairway. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. 157:143-149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.070.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.03.070

Interpretive Summary: Flutolanil and pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) are fungicides used to control or suppress foliar and soil borne diseases in turf and ornamental crops. On golf courses, sports fields, sod farms and commercial lawns these fungicides are used as preventive treatments to combat snow mold, brown patch and fairy ring. However, these fungicides are also toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates making their off-site transport with runoff a potential hazard to aquatic organisms residing in surface waters adjacent to treated areas. This research compared the transport of flutolanil and PCNB with runoff from turfgrass managed as a golf course fairway. The quantity of fungicide transported with runoff and observations reported with the chemographs followed trends in agreement with the chemical properties of the compounds. Overall, greater quantities of flutolanil were observed earlier in the runoff event relative to PCNB. A greater understanding of the off-site transport of pesticides with runoff is needed to make informed decisions on management practices to reduce potential adverse effects on non-target organisms, as well as maintain control of targeted pests in the area of application. In addition, data reported in the present study can be used in model simulations to predict nonpoint source pollution potentials beyond experimental conditions.

Technical Abstract: Flutolanil and pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) are fungicides used to control or suppress foliar and soil borne diseases in turf and ornamental crops. On golf courses, sports fields, sod farms and commercial lawns these fungicides are used as preventive treatments to combat snow mold, brown patch and fairy ring. However, these fungicides are also toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates making their off-site transport with runoff a potential hazard to aquatic organisms residing in surface waters adjacent to treated areas. This research compared the transport of flutolanil and PCNB with runoff from turfgrass managed as a golf course fairway. The quantity of fungicide transported with runoff and observations reported with the chemographs followed trends in agreement with the chemical properties of the compounds. Overall, greater quantities of flutolanil were observed earlier in the runoff event relative to PCNB. A greater understanding of the off-site transport of pesticides with runoff is needed to make informed decisions on management practices to reduce potential adverse effects on non-target organisms, as well as maintain control of targeted pests in the area of application. In addition, data reported in the present study can be used in model simulations to predict nonpoint source pollution potentials beyond experimental conditions.