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Accepted manuscript

Washoff potential from living and aged cover crop residues differs among soil-residual herbicide sorption properties

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2026

Cody Smith ,
Caio Brunharo Open the ORCID record for Caio Brunharo [Opens in a new window] ,
Kyle Elkin ,
Michael Flessner Open the ORCID record for Michael Flessner [Opens in a new window] ,
Mark VanGessel  and
John M. Wallace Open the ORCID record for John M. Wallace [Opens in a new window]
Cody Smith
Affiliation:
Graduate student, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor, Plant Science Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
Caio Brunharo
Affiliation:
Graduate student, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor, Plant Science Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
Kyle Elkin
Affiliation:
Service Chemist, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems & Watershed Management, University Park, PA USA
Michael Flessner
Affiliation:
Professor, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, VA USA
Mark VanGessel
Affiliation:
Professor, University of Delaware, Georgetown, DE, USA
John M. Wallace*
Affiliation:
Graduate student, Assistant Professor, and Associate Professor, Plant Science Department, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
*
Author for correspondence: John M. Wallace, Associate Professor, Plant Science Department, Pennsylvania State University, 116 ASI Building, University Park, PA 16802; Email: jmw309@psu.edu
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Abstract

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Delaying cover crop termination until planting (i.e., planting green) in no-till production systems is likely to mediate the fate of herbicides that provide soil residual activity. In a planting green scenario, there is currently limited knowledge of how the interaction between physiochemical properties of cover crop residues and sorption properties of herbicides influence the washoff potential of residual herbicides from cover crop residues. We conducted field- and laboratory-based experiments using herbicide washoff assay methods to evaluate the interaction between lignin (%) of cereal rye (Secale cereale, L.) and herbicide lipophilicity (Kow) on washoff potential across herbicide application timings. We contrasted herbicides with intermediate lipophilicity (atrazine, pyroxasulfone , and S-metolachlor) to less (mesotrione) and highly lipophilic (pendimethalin) herbicides. When applied into living cereal rye, washoff of atrazine and pyroxasulfone were greater than mesotrione and S-metolachlor. Pendimethalin had the least washoff potential. When applied into fresh- to aged-cereal rye residues (0 to 84 days after termination), pendimethalin washoff was below the detection threshold. Washoff of mesotrione, pyroxasulfone, and atrazine declined as lignin (%) in cereal rye residues increased, whereas a positive relationship between S-metolachlor recovery and lignin (%) was observed. Results of our study partially support the hypotheses that (1) herbicide lipophilicity, measured via log Kow values, can be a useful indicator of washoff potential among residual herbicides used in cover crop systems, and (2) washoff potential declines as cover crop residues age within herbicide application windows.

Keywords

herbicide fateIntegrated Weed Managementplanting green

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Weed Science , Accepted manuscript , pp. 1 - 24
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Weed Science Society of America