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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #93781
Title: CHEMICAL TRANSPORT IN SURFACE RUNOFF: FIELD SCALE STUDY

Author
item GHIDEY, FESSEHAIE - UNIV OF MO
item Alberts, Edward

Submitted to: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Runoff and soil losses from the Midwest claypan region are relatively high during the seedbed preparation period when agrichemicals are applied. Because of this, herbicide losses to surface runoff can be critical for runoff events that occur immediately after application. In this study, the effects of crop management systems including tillage, rate of application, and type of application on the transport of herbicides in surface runoff were evaluated. Atrazine and alachlor loss to surface runoff from a no-till system where herbicides were surface applied and not-incorporated was much higher than that from the minimum-till system where herbicides were surface applied and incorporated. The study has also shown that a small decrease in herbicide rate had no effect on the amount of loss to surface runoff. Overall, the study indicated that the timing of runoff relative to chemical application and type of incorporation played more important role in the transport of herbicides to surface runoff than rate of application. The study would help farmers to efficiently manage herbicides and thus reduce the loss of excess chemicals to surface runoff/leaching.

Technical Abstract: Runoff and soil losses from the Midwest claypan region are relatively high during the seedbed preparation period when agrichemicals are applied. Because of this, herbicide losses to surface runoff can be critical for runoff events that occur immediately after application. In this study, the effects of crop management systems including tillage, rate of application, and type of application on the transport of herbicides in surface runoff were evaluated. Atrazine and alachlor loss to surface runoff from a no-till system where herbicides were surface applied and not incorporated was much higher than that from the minimum-till system where herbicides were surface applied and incorporated. The study also showed that a small decrease in herbicide rate had no effect on the amount of loss to surface runoff. Overall, the study indicated that the timing of runoff relative to chemical application and type of incorporation played a more important role in the transport of herbicides to surface runoff than the rate of application. Our results will help farmers more efficiently manage herbicides and thus reduce the loss of excess chemicals to surface runoff.