Chemical seed treatments are used to improve the germination and early growth of most agricultural row crops following planting. There is much interest among Louisiana sugarcane growers in transitioning from whole stalk to billet seed planting. However, the shorter billets leave the sugarcane more susceptible to pathogens that cause stalk rot that can severely reduce spring shoot populations and yields. New fungicides and other chemical treatments are available that might reduce stalk rot severity, however, little is known concerning the fate of these fungicides and insecticides in sugarcane soils. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure the aerobic soil dissipation rate of thiamethoxam, azoxystobin, fluxapyroxad, propiconazole and pyraclostrobin. Soil samples (n=24) from a non-treated field were spiked (4 μg g-1) with thiamethoxam, azoxystobin, fluxapyroxad, propiconazole or pyraclostrobin and monitored over the course of 100 days under laboratory conditions. Insecticide and fungicide levels were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV-vis detection using a C18 column with acetonitrile and water as mobile phases. Percent recoveries of the pesticides and method detection limits were determined. All five pesticides showed significant reduction from initial fortification levels.

Fungicide and insecticide dissipation in soil used for sugarcane billet seed treatment

255th National Meeting (2018)

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