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Pesticide Chemistry



Contamination of drainage from macroporous soils


Rivers in the U.K. can be contaminated by pesticides at levels above the E.U. drinking water limit of 0.1 µg/l. Much of this pesticide derives from field drainage, especially from autumn applications to cracking clay soils on which macropores allow pesticide to enter mole drains directly without passage through the body of the soil. Laboratory tests and field studies at Brimstone Farm are examining this process in order to define agronomic or other practices to reduce such pesticide loss to drainage.



Automated sampling of drainage water at Brimstone Farm


References:

JONES, R.L., HARRIS, G.L., CATT, J.A., BROMILOW, R.H., MASON, D.J. & ARNOLD, D.J. (1995) Management practices for reducing movement of pesticides to surface water in cracking clay soils. Proceedings Brighton Crop Protection Conference - Weeds, 489-498.

NICHOLLS, P.H.. EVANS, A.A., BROMILOW, R.H., HOWSE, K.R., HARRIS, G.L., ROSE, S.C., PEPPER, T.J. & MASON, D.J. (1993) Persistence and leaching of isoproturon and mecoprop in the Brimstone farm plots. Proceedings Brighton Crop Protection Conference - Weeds, 849-854.