Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-8bhkd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T11:54:28.356Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Microbial adaptation for accelerated atrazine mineralization/ degradation in Mississippi Delta soils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert M. Zablotowicz ,
Mark A. Weaver  and
Martin A. Locke
Robert M. Zablotowicz
Affiliation:
USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Southern Weed Science Research Unit, P.O. Box 350, Stoneville, MS 38776; rzablotowicz@ars.usda.gov
Mark A. Weaver
Affiliation:
USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Southern Weed Science Research Unit, P.O. Box 350, Stoneville, MS 38776
Martin A. Locke
Affiliation:
USDA-Agricultural Research Service, National Sedimentation Laboratory, Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit, Oxford, MS 38655
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Most well-drained Mississippi Delta soils have been used for cotton production, but corn has recently become a desirable alternative crop, and subsequently, atrazine use has increased. Between 2000 and 2001, 21 surface soils (0 to 5 cm depth) with known management histories were collected from various sites in Leflore, Sunflower, and Washington counties of Mississippi. Atrazine degradation was assessed in 30-d laboratory studies using 14C-ring–labeled herbicide. Mineralization was extensive in all soils with a history of one to three atrazine applications with cumulative mineralization over 30 d ranging from 45 to 72%. In contrast, cumulative mineralization of atrazine from three soils with no atrazine history was only 5 to 10%. However, one soil with no history of atrazine application mineralized 54 and 29% of the atrazine in soils collected in 2000 and 2001, respectively. Methanol extracted 15 to 23% of the 14C-atrazine 7 d after treatment in soils having two applications within the past 6 yr, whereas 65 to 70% was extracted from no-history soils. First-order kinetic models indicated soil with 2 yr of atrazine exposure exhibited a half-life of less than 6 d. Most probable number (MPN) estimates of atrazine-ring mineralizing-microorganisms ranged from 450 to 7,200 propagules g−1 in atrazine-exposed soils, and none were detected in soils with no history of atrazine use. Although most soils exhibited rapid atrazine mineralization, analysis of DNA isolated from these soils by direct or nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) failed to amplify DNA sequences with primers for the atzA atrazine chlorohydrolase gene. These results indicate that microbial populations capable of accelerated atrazine degradation have developed in Mississippi Delta soils. This may reduce the weed control efficacy of atrazine but also reduce the potential for off-site movement. Studies are continuing to identify the genetic basis of atrazine degradation in these soils.

Keywords

AtrazinecyanazineDEA, de-ethyl atrazineDIA, de-isopropyl atrazinecorn, Zea mays L.cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L.Accelerated degradationatrazinemicrobial metabolismmineralization
Type
Soil, Air, and Water
Information
Weed Science , Volume 54 , Issue 3 , June 2006 , pp. 538 - 547
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

Abdelhafid, R., Houot, S., and Barriuso, E. 2000. Dependence of atrazine degradation on C and N availability in adapted and non-adapted soils. Soil Biol. Biochem 32:389–401.Google Scholar
Alexander, M. 1994. Biodegradation and Bioremediation. San: Diego: Academic.Google Scholar
Bartha, R. and Pramer, D. 1965. Features of a flask and method for measuring the persistence and biological effect of pesticides in soil. Soil Sci 100:68–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barriuso, E. and Houot, S. 1996. Rapid mineralization of the s-triazine ring of atrazine in relation to soil management. Soil Biol. Biochem 28:1341–1348.Google Scholar
Bichat, F., Sims, G. K., and Mulvaney, R. L. 1999. Microbial utilization of heterocyclic nitrogen from atrazine. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J 63:100–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blumhorst, M. R. and Weber, J. B. 1994. Chemical versus microbial degradation of cyanazine and atrazine in soils. Pestic. Sci 42:79–84.Google Scholar
Buchanan, G. A. and Hiltbold, A. E. 1973. Performance and persistence of atrazine. Weed Sci 21:413–416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burkart, M. R. and Kolpin, D. W. 1993. Hydrologic and land-use factors associated with herbicides and nitrate in near-surface aquifers. J. Environ. Qual 22:646–656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Souza, M. L., Wackett, L. P., Boundy-Mills, K. L., Mandelbaum, R. T., and Sadowsky, M. J. 1995. Cloning, characterization, and expression of a gene region from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP involved in the dechlorination of atrazine. Appl. Environ. Microbiol 61:3373–3378.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DeSouza, M. L., Seffernick, J., Martinez, B., Sadowsky, M. J., and Wackett, L. P. 1998. The atrazine catabolism genes atzABC are widespread and conserved. J. Bacteriol 180:1951–1954.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esser, H. O., Dupuis, G., Ebert, E., Marco, G., and Vogel, C. 1975. s-Triazines. Pages 129–208 in Kearney, P. C. and Kaufman, D. D. eds. Herbicides: Chemistry, Degradation, and Mode of Action. Volume 1. New York: Marcel Decker.Google Scholar
Gee, G. W. and Bauder, J. W. 1986. Particle size analysis. Pages 383–411 in Klute, A. ed. Method of Soil Analysis, Part 1. Agron. Monogr. 9, Madison, WI: ASA and SSSA.Google Scholar
Houot, S., Barriuso, E., and Bergheaud, V. 1998. Modifications to atrazine degradation pathways in a loamy soil after addition of organic amendments. Soil Biol. Biochem 30:2147–2157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Houot, S., Topp, E., Yassir, A., and Soulas, G. 2000. Dependence of accelerated degradation of atrazine on soil pH in French and Canadian soils. Soil Biol. Biochem 32:615–625.Google Scholar
Jayachandran, K., Stolpe, N. B., Moorman, T. B., and Shea, P. J. 1998. Application of 14C-most probable-number technique to enumerate atrazine-degrading microorganisms in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem 30:523–529.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krutz, L. J., Gentry, T. J., Senseman, S. A., Pepper, I. L., and Tierney, D. P. 2006. Mineralization of atrazine, metolachlor, and their respective metabolites in vegetated filter strip and cultivated soil. Pest: Manag. Sci. In press.Google Scholar
Lerch, R. N., Thurman, E. M., and Blanchard, P. E. 1999. Hydroxyatrazine in soils and sediments. Environ. Toxicol. Chem 18:2161–2168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lerch, R. N., Thurman, E. M., and Kruger, E. L. 1997. Mixed-mode sorption of hydroxylated atrazine degradation products in soil: a mechanism for bound residues. Environ. Sci. Technol 31:1639–1645.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levanon, D. 1993. Roles of fungi and bacteria on the mineralization of atrazine, alachlor, malathion, and carbofuran in soil. Soil Biol. Biochem 25:2097–2205.Google Scholar
Locke, M. A., Gaston, L. A., and Zablotowicz, R. M. 1996. Alachlor biotransformations and sorption in soil from two soybean tillage systems. J. Agric. Food Chem 44:1128–1134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin-Laurent, F., Cornet, L., Ranjard, L., Lopez-Gutierrez, J. C., Philipport, L., Schwartz, C., Chaussod, R., Cartoux, G., and Soulas, G. 2004. Estimation of atrazine-degrading genetic potential and activity in three French agricultural soils. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol 48:5425–435.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martinez, B., Tomkins, J., Wackett, L. P., Wing, R., and Sadowsky, M. J. 2001. Complete nucleotide sequence and organization of atrazine catabolic plasmid pADP-1 from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP. J. Bacteriol 183:5684–5697.Google Scholar
Mulbry, W. M., Zhu, H., Nour, S. N., and Topp, E. 2002. The triazine hydrolase gene trzN from Nocardiodes sp. Strain C190: Cloning and construction of gene-specific primers. FEMS Microbiol. Let 206:75–79.Google Scholar
Ostrofsky, E. B., Traina, S. J., and Tuovinen, O. H. 1997. Variation in atrazine mineralization rates in relation to agricultural management practices. J. Environ. Qual 26:647–657.Google Scholar
Piutti, S., Hallet, S., Rousseaux, S., Phillippot, L., Soulas, G., and Martin-Laurent, F. 2002a. Accelerated mineralization of atrazine in maize rhizosphere soil. Biol. Fert. Soils 36:434–441.Google Scholar
Piutti, S., Marchand, A. L., Lagacherie, B., Martin-Laurent, F., and Soulas, G. 2002b. Effect of cropping cycles and repeated herbicide applications on the degradation of diclofop-methyl, bentazone, diuron, isoproturon, and pendimethalin in soil. Pest Manag. Sci 58:303–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reddy, K. N., Zablotowicz, R. M., Locke, M. A., and Koger, C. 2003. Cover crop, tillage, and herbicide effects on weeds, soil properties, microbial populations, and soybean yield in the lower Mississippi Delta. Weed Sci 51:987–994.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhine, E. D., Fuhrmann, J. J., and Radosevich, M. 2003. Microbial community response to atrazine exposure and nutrient availability: linking degradation capacity to community structure. Microbial Ecol 46:145–160.Google Scholar
[SAS] Statistical Analysis Systems. 2001. SAS User's Guide. Version 8.1. Cary, NC: SAS Institute.Google Scholar
Scribner, E. M., Battaglin, W. A., Goolsby, D. A., and Thurman, E. M. 2000. Changes in herbicide concentrations in Midwestern streams in relation to changes in use, 1989–1998. Sci. Total Environ 248:255–263.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shapir, N., Goux, S., Manelbaum, R. T., and Pussemier, L. 2000. The potential of soil microorganisms to mineralize atrazine as predicted by MCH-PCR followed by nested PCR. Can. J. Microbiol 46:425–432.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skow, K. M. and Johnson, C. R. 1997. Effect of sorption on biodegradation of soil pollutants. Adv. Agron 58:1–56.Google Scholar
Soil Survey Staff. 1959a. Washington County, Mississippi. USDA Soil Conservation Service. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Soil Survey Staff. 1959b. Leflore County, Mississippi. USDA Soil Conservation Service. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Soil Survey Staff. 1959c. Sunflower County, Mississippi. USDA Soil Conservation Service. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Solomon, K. R., Baker, D. B., Richards, R. P., Dixon, K. R., Klaine, S. J., La Pointe, T. W., Kendall, R. J., Weiskopf, C. P., Giddings, J. M., and Giesey, J. P. 1996. Ecological risk assessment of atrazine in North American surface waters. Environ. Toxicol. Chem 15:31–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sparling, G., Dragten, R., Aislabie, J., and Fraser, R. 1998. Atrazine mineralization in New Zealand topsoils and subsoils: influence of edaphic factors and numbers of atrazine-degrading microbes. Aust. J. Soil Res 36:557–70.Google Scholar
Staddon, W. J., Locke, M. A., and Zablotowicz, R. M. 2004. Spatial variability of cyanazine dissipation in soil from a conservation-managed field. Pages 179–193 in Nett, M. T., Locke, M. A., and Pennington, D. A. eds. Water Quality Assessments in the Mississippi Delta: Regional Solutions, National Scope. ACS Symp. Ser. 877.Google Scholar
Thurman, E. M., Goolsby, D. A., Meyer, M., and Kolpin, D. W. 1991. Herbicides in surface waters of the Midwestern United States—the effect of spring flush. Environ. Sci. Technol 25:1794–1796.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Topp, E., Mulbry, W. M., Zhu, H., Nour, S. M., and Cupels, D. 2000. Characterization of S-triazine herbicide metabolism by a Nocardiodes sp. isolated from agricultural soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol 66:3134–3141.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Viator, B. J., Griffin, J. L., and Richard, E. P. Jr. 2002. Evaluation of red morningglory (Ipomoea coccinea) for potential atrazine resistance. Weed Technol 16:96–101.Google Scholar
Woomer, P. L. 1994. Most probable number counts. Pages 59–80 in Mickelson, S. H. and Bingham, J. M. eds. Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2: Microbiological and Biochemical Properties. Book Series No. 5, Madison WI: Soil Science Society of America.Google Scholar
Yassir, A., Lagacherie, B., Houot, S., and Soulas, G. 1999. Microbial aspects of atrazine biodegradation in relation to history of soil treatment. Pestic. Sci 55:799–809.Google Scholar
Zablotowicz, R. M., Locke, M. A., Gaston, L. A., and Bryson, C. T. 2000. Interactions of tillage and soil depth on fluometuron degradation in a Dundee silt loam. Soil Tillage Res 57:61–68.Google Scholar
Zablotowicz, R. M., Locke, M. A., Lerch, R. N., and Knight, S. S. 2004. Dynamics of herbicide concentrations in Mississippi Delta oxbow lakes and the role of planktonic microorganisms in herbicide metabolism. Pages 134–149 in Nett, M. T., Locke, M. A., and Pennington, D. A. eds. Water Quality Assessments in the Mississippi Delta: Regional Solutions, National Scope. ACS Symp. Ser. 877.Google Scholar