Leaching of Diuron, Hexazinone, and Sulfometuron-methyl Applied Alone and in Mixture in Soils with Contrasting Textures.

When herbicides are applied in mixture, interactions among them could potentially promote changes in herbicide behavior in the soil. Thus, application mode (isolated or in mixture) and soil texture (sandy or clayey) were investigated in the total leaching of the commercial mixture diuron + hexazinone + sulfometuron-methyl, and of each isolated compound. Experiments in soil columns also evaluated the movement of each herbicide and mixtures across soil layers. In the sandy soil, the greatest total leaching was observed with hexazinone compared to diuron and sulfometuron. Most of the applied diuron remained at the top layer of the soil, indicating that this herbicide has low soil mobility. Overall, our results show that hexazinone has greater leaching potential and mobility along the soil profile compared to diuron and sulfometuron. Our data can be used in assessing the fate of diuron, hexazinone, and sulfometuron alone or in mixture on natural ecosystems, under different soil types and application modes.