Behavior and Fate of Metribuzin in Eight Ontario Soils

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Abstract
The adsorption, desorption, and mobility of metribuzin [4-amino-6-tert-butyl-3-(methylthio)-as-triazine-5(4H)one] in eight Ontario soils were investigated. The distribution coefficients varied from 0.56 for the least adsorptive Fox sandy loam soil to 31.67 for the most highly adsorptive Leamington muck soil. Most of the adsorbed metribuzin was desorbed from the mineral soils after six aqueous extractions, however substantial amounts of the herbicide remained adsorbed on the muck soils after 10 aqueous extractions. The herbicide was relatively mobile in mineral soils but was immobile in the muck soils. Mobility was inversely correlated with the amount of soil organic matter. Bioassay studies indicated that phytotoxicity of metribuzin also decreased with increasing organic matter content of the soil. Persistence of metribuzin was dependent on microbial degradation. In a field study with Guelph loam, the half-life of metribuzin was approximately 3 months.