Mobility of Sulfentrazone in Soils with Different Physical and Chemical Characteristics

Knowledge of factors that influence the leaching of herbicides in the soil is essential to use these products safely from a technical and environmental perspective. This study evaluated the mobility of sulfentrazone in four soils from southern Brazil (Haplic Planosol, Red Argisol, Humic Cambisol and Entisol) and a Red-Yellow Latosol from the Zona da Mata region in the state of Minas Gerais. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-20 cm and characterized physically and chemically. The substrates were placed in columns, and 1 kg ha-1 of the herbicide was subsequently applied on top of them, followed by a simulated rainfall of 60 mm. After draining the water, Sorghum bicolor seeds were sown along the column, as bioindicators of the presence of sulfentrazone; 21 days after planting, the presence of the sorghum plants was assessed visually, and the shoots were collected for determination of dry matter. The experimental design was completely randomized in subdivided plots, whereas the columns filled with each of the five soils were the main plots and the 10 column depths (0-5, 5-10, 10-15, 15-20, 20-25, 25-30, 30-35, 35-40, 40-45 and 45-50 cm) were the subplots. There was a herbicide-free control for each soil. Clay content, organic matter and pH of each soil influenced the mobility of sulfentrazone, and soils with lower clay and organic matter levels showed higher potential of leaching of sulfentrazone.