A brief review is presented for the use of soil lysimeters in studying transpiration, evapotranspiration, moisture, and nutrient movement in earlier times and pesticide dissipation and movement, and mass-balance of pesticide dissipation in more recent times. The important factors needed to understand research findings and to model pesticide dissipation such as key soil and site characteristics, climatic conditions, and the methods involved are discussed. Several case studies carried out by Ciba and North Carolina State University are discussed and current developments in soil column field lysimeters are presented.
