What are the main ways herbicides degrade?
When growing crops, herbicides are more or less used to ensure the crops grow normally. Rational use of herbicides can promptly clear weeds in the field and ensure healthy crop growth. However, most herbicides today are chemical-based. After spraying, chemical components easily remain in the soil, causing environmental pollution. Therefore, herbicides must be properly degraded. So below, the editor will bring you the degradation methods of herbicides. Let's take a look!
1. Volatilization
Volatilization is one of the main methods of herbicide degradation, and it generally occurs in high-temperature environments. However, the effect of volatilization degradation mainly changes with the environment. The one most people know about is probably temperature; the higher the temperature, the faster the volatilization degradation of the herbicide. In fact, it also depends on the composition of the herbicide. For example, herbicides containing substances such as pendimethalin volatilize relatively easily.
2. Photolysis
Some herbicides can undergo photolysis through the influence of sunlight, and what is indispensable for photolysis is, of course, the sun. Under normal circumstances, many herbicides can undergo photolysis. However, the speed of photolysis is directly related to the quality of the herbicide and the light intensity. The stronger the light, the faster the photolysis speed naturally is. Herbicides such as trifluralin, because their molecular structure is relatively special, also photolyze faster than other herbicides.
3. Water dissolution
Water dissolution is also a method that can degrade herbicides well. Water dissolution degradation mainly occurs through rainfall or artificial watering. After rain, the herbicide gradually infiltrates with the water into the lower layers of the soil, reducing harm to crops and soil. For water dissolution, it is certainly directly related to the water flow rate. But note that after applying the herbicide, you must not water immediately, and you must do a good job of rain protection to avoid phytotoxicity and affect crop growth.
4. Soil adsorption
Soil adsorption has a great relationship with the activity of herbicides and the persistence of pesticide residues. When herbicides are adsorbed by colloids in the soil, the purpose of degradation can be effectively achieved. Soil adsorption degradation is mainly related to the type of herbicide and the content of soil clay particles. For example, urea herbicides and triazine herbicides are easily adsorbed by soil. If the soil clay particle content is high, then the soil's adsorption capacity can also be enhanced. When weeding, we should pay attention to considering the colloidal clay particle content of the soil to ensure that the soil's adsorption of the herbicide can reach saturation as much as possible.
The above is a brief introduction to herbicide degradation methods. In addition to the above four, herbicide degradation also includes chemical degradation, biological degradation, and other degradation methods. No matter which method is used, it is necessary to ensure that the herbicide can degrade normally and avoid excessive pollution. That is all for today's introduction. This article is for reference only, and I hope it can help everyone!