Investigation of the effects of enhanced biodegradation of carbofuran in soils used for muskmelon, Cucumis melo (L.), production
Abstract
Experiments were conducted on soils traditionally used for muskmelon production in Indiana to assess the capacity of these soils to develop enhanced, or rapid, rates of carbofuran breakdown. Soils from three fields with a history of carbofuran treatment were compared to similar soils with no previous carbofuran treatment. The disappearance rate of carbofuran from these soils was examined through bioassay and the breakdown of $\sp{14}$C-carbofuran. Both methods showed rapid breakdown of carbofuran occurring in history soils as opposed to a much slower rate of degradation in non-history soils. Results of a field study in which carbofuran was applied to plants growing in history and non-history fields indicate the occurrence of enhanced degradation of the insecticide. Plant uptake of carbofuran as measured by bioassay and residue analysis was dependent upon the concentration of the insecticide in soil, and thereby significantly affected the control of striped cucumber, Acalymma vittatum (F.), feeding on plants growing in history soils.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
York, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Entomology|Agronomy
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