The herbicide sulfentrazone is classified as highly mobile and persistent and this study aimed to examine degradation of this compound on a Typic Hapludox soil that is representative of regions where sulfentrazone is used in Brazil. Soil samples were supplemented with sulfentrazone (0.7 mg active ingredient (a.i.) g À1 soil), and maintained at 27 1C. Soil moisture was corrected to 30%, 70%, or 100% waterholding capacity (WHC) and maintained constant until the end of the experimental period. Soils without added herbicide were used as controls. Aliquots were taken after 14, 30, 60, 120, 180, and 255 days of incubation for quantitative analysis of sulfentrazone residues by gas chromatography. Another experiment was conducted in soil samples, with and without the herbicide, at different temperatures (15, 30, and 40 1C), with moisture kept constant at 70% of WHC. The sulfentrazone residues were quantified by gas chromatography after 14, 30, 60, and 120 days of incubation. Sulfentrazone degradation was not affected by soil moisture. A significant effect was observed for the temperature factor after 120 days on herbicide degradation, which was higher at 30 1C. A half-life of 146.5 days was recorded. It was observed that the herbicide stimulated growth of actinomycetes, whereas bacterial and fungal growth was not affected. The microorganisms selected as potential sulfentrazone degraders were Rhizobium radiobacter, Ralstonia pickettii, Methylobacterium radiotolerans, Cladosporium sp., Eupenicillium sp., and Paecilomyces sp.

This study examined the degradation of sulfentrazone in Arenic Hapludult soil, such soil being representative of regions where sulfentrazone is used in Brazil. Soil samples were supplemented with the herbicide [0.7 µg active ingredient (a.i.) g − 1 soil] and maintained at 27°C. The soil moisture content was corrected to 30, 70 or 100% of water holding capacity (WHC). Herbicide-free soil samples were used as controls. Aliquots were taken after 14, 30, 60, 120, 180 and 255 days of incubation for the quantitative analysis of sulfentrazone residues by gas chromatography. Another experiment was conducted using soil samples with and without herbicide, submitted to different temperatures of 15, 30 and 40°C, and kept at a constant value for WHC of 70% . The sulfentrazone residues were quantified by gas chromatography after 14, 30, 60 and 120 days of incubation. The potential degrader microorganisms were isolated and identified. A half-life of 172.4 days was estimated at 27°C and 70% WHC. The microorganisms identified as potential degraders of the herbicide were Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Chrysosporium sp., Eupenicillium sp., Metarhizium sp. and Paecilomyces sp. After 120 days, temperature had no further effect (P b 0.16) on sulfentrazone degradation, and the soil moisture content had no effect on degradation at any time.

Sulfentrazone is amongst the most widely used herbicides for treating the main crops in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, but few studies are available on the biotransformation of this compound in Brazilian soils.Soil samples of Rhodic Hapludox soil were supplemented with sulfentrazone (0.7 µg active ingredient (a.i.) g -1 soil) and maintained at 27ºC. The soil moisture content was corrected to 30, 70 or 100 % water holding capacity (WHC) and maintained constant until the end of the experimental period. Herbicide-free soil samples were used as controls. Another experiment was carried out using soil samples maintained at a constant moisture content of 70% WHC, supplemented or otherwise with the herbicide, and submitted to different temperatures of 15, 30 and 40º C. In both experiments, aliquots were removed after various incubation periods for the quantitative analysis of sulfentrazone residues by gas chromatography.Herbicide-degrading microorganisms were isolated and identified. After 120 days a significant effect on herbicide degradation was observed for the factor of temperature, degradation being higher at 30 and 40º C. A half-life of 91.6 days was estimated at 27º C and 70 % WHC. The soil moisture content did not significantly affect sulfentrazone degradation and the microorganisms identified as potential sulfentrazone degraders were Nocardia brasiliensis and Penicillium sp. The present study enhanced the prospects for future studies on the bio-prospecting for microbial populations related to the degradation of sulfentrazone, and may also contribute to the development of strategies for the bioremediation of sulfentrazone-polluted soils.

Resumo -O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a degradabilidade do regulador de crescimento vegetal paclobutrazol em solo. Os solos foram coletados em regiões representativas de plantios comerciais de manga para exportação, em Petrolina, PE e em Lins, SP. Culturas bacterianas mistas, isoladas destas amostras de solo foram avaliadas quanto à sua capacidade degradativa em meio de cultura líquido suplementado com paclobutrazol. A determinação dos resíduos do regulador de crescimento, realizada a partir do 15 o dia de incubação e quantificada por meio de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência demonstrou que o paclobutrazol é lentamente degradado e apresenta meia-vida de 95 dias.Termos para indexação: regulador de crescimento vegetal, meia-vida, bactérias, microrganismos. Paclobutrazol degradation in tropical soilsAbstract -The objective of this work was to evaluate the degradability of paclobutrazol in soil. Soil samples were collected in orchards of two main mango production regions for exportation, at Petrolina, PE and Lins, SP, Brazil. Blended bacteria cultures, isolated from the soil samples, were assessed in liquid culture medium enriched with paclobutrazol, to verify its degradative capability. Quantification of growth regulator residues by high performance liquid chromatography was performed 15 days after application of the compound, and showed that the paclobutrazol is slowly degraded and presents half-life of 95 days.

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