Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 June 2017
Degradation of flurtamone in a Greenville sandy clay loam, a Cecil loam, and a Dothan loamy sand with 0, 1, or 2 yr of previous flurtamone field use was evaluated under controlled conditions. Soil sterilization by autoclaving significantly reduced flurtamone dissipation rate in all soils. Enhanced degradation of flurtamone was observed in a Greenville sandy clay loam after 1 yr of previous flurtamone field use and in a Cecil loam after 2 yr of previous flurtamone field use. No enhancement of flurtamone degradation was observed in a Dothan loamy sand. Flurtamone degradation kinetics in these studies was described as a first-order process. Microbial populations in each soil showed no major changes in total bacterial numbers due to preexposure to flurtamone in the field.