Persistence and degradation of tembotrione in loamy soil: Effect of various organic amendments, moisture regimes and temperatures

In the present study, persistence and degradation of tembotrione, a triketone herbicide, was studied in loamy soil collected from maize field. Effects of organic amendments, moistures and temperatures on tembotrione dissipation were evaluated. Soil samples were processed according to the modified QuEChERS involving dichloromethane solvent and MgSO₄ without PSA. Analysis using LC-MS/MS showed >95% recoveries of tembotrione its two metabolites TCMBA and M5 from fortified soils. Tembotrione residues dissipated with time and 85.55 to 98.53% dissipation was found on 90th day under different treatments. Tembotrione dissipation increased with temperature and moisture content of the soil. Among organic amendments, highest dissipation was observed in vermicompost amended soil. Minimum and maximum half-lives of tembotrione were recorded under 35 °C (15.7 days) and air-dry (33 days) conditions, respectively. Residues of tembotrione declined with time while that of TCMBA increased steadily up to 10-45^th day in different treatments and declined thereafter. Residues of M5 were not detected in our experiments. Tembotrione persistence was negatively correlated with the organic carbon (%), moisture regimes, and temperature. A good correlation between soil microbial biomass carbon and degradation was found. A two-way ANOVA indicated significant differences between the treatments at 95% confidence level (<i>p</i> < 0.05).