Dissipation of pendimethalin in the soil of field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and detection of terminal residues in plants.

Dissipation of pendimethalin in the soil of field peas (Pisum sativum L.) at 0 to 110 days, and terminal residues in green and mature pea were studied under field conditions. Pendimethalin was applied as pre-emergence herbicide at 750, to 185 g a.i. ha(-1) in winter, in field peas. Dissipation of pendimethalin in the soil at 0 to 110 days followed first-order kinetics showing a half-life of 19.83 days averaged over all doses. Low pendimethalin residues were found in mature pea grain (0.004, 0.003, <0.001 μg g(-1)), and straw (0.007, 0.002, <0.001 μg g(-1)) at 750, 350 and 185 g a.i. ha(-1) treatments, respectively. The study indicated that residues of pendimethalin in green and mature pea were within the prescribed MRL limits.