Dissipation of pendimethalin in soil and its residues in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under field conditions.

Disappearance of pendimethalin in the soil of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) at 0-110 days, and terminal residues in plant samples have been studied under field conditions. Pendimethalin was applied as pre-emergence herbicide at 750, 350 and 180 g a.i. ha(-1) in winter, in chickpea crop. The dissipation of pendimethalin in the chickpea field soil conditions followed first order kinetics showing a half-life of 11.23 days averaged over all doses. Low pendimethalin residues were found in plant samples. 0.025, 0.015, <0.001 μg g(-1) residues of pendimethalin were found in grains at 750, 350 and 185 g a.i. ha(-1) treatments, respectively. Much lower pendimethalin residues were found in straw viz. 0.015 to <0.001 μg g(-1) at 750, 350 and 185 g a.i. ha(-1) treatments, respectively.