Effect of surface tarp on emissions and distribution of drip-applied fumigants

Soil fumigants are used to control a wide variety of soil-borne pests in high-cash-value crops. Application of soil fumigants through drip irrigation systems is receiving increasing attention as a method to improve the uniformity of fumigant application. Little information is available on the emissions and soil distribution of fumigants following subsurface drip application, or the effect of plastic tarp on fumigant emissions in these systems. In these experiments, the fumigant compounds 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), Vapam (a methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) precursor), and propargyl bromide (PrBr) were applied to soil beds via drip irrigation at 15 cm depth. Beds were tarped with either standard 1-mil high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or a virtually impermeable film (VIF), leaving the furrows bare. Cumulative emissions of 1,3-D, MITC, and PrBr in these tarped bedded systems was very low, amounting to <10% of the applied mass. These experiments were conducted in the winter months, with average air temperatures of 12-15 degrees C. Cumulative emissions of MITC and 1,3-D from a sandy loam field soil were decreased by > or =80% by tarping the bed with VIF rather than HDPE. A large fraction of the 1,3-D and PrBr flux was from the untarped furrows in VIF-tarped plots, indicating that inhibiting volatilization from the furrow will be important in further reducing emissions in these systems. Monitoring the fumigant distribution in soil indicated that tarping the bed with VIF resulted in a more effective containment of fumigant vapors compared to use of a HDPE tarp.     

Leaching potential of persistent soil fumigant residues

Persistent fumigant residues in soil resulting from agricultural pest-control practices may be released into water and leached to groundwater. In this study, the leaching potential of persistent soil fumigant residues was evaluated, and the effect of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) amendment was investigated. A silt loam soil was incubated separately with the fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), chloropicrin (CP), and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) at 240-990 mg kg(-1) for 35 d, followed by 48 h of evaporation. The soil was packed into stainless steel columns (1.4 cm x 10 cm) and leached with water, 5 mM ATS, and DOM solution (DOC 250 mg L(-1)) by gravity. Residues of 1,3-D, CP, and MITC in the evaporated soil were 5.61, 11.38, and 1.83 mg kg(-1), respectively. Concentrations of 1,3-D, CP, and MITC in column effluents ranged from 0.05 to 0.73, 0.16 to 0.81, and 0.05 to 0.27 mg L(-1), respectively, when the soil was leached with 10 pore volumes of water. DOM did not promote the leaching of persistent fumigant residues, and ATS remarkably reduced the amount of 1,3-D and CP yet notably increased MITC recovered in the effluents. The results suggest that the leaching of persistent fumigant residues through soil to water is significant, and movement of fumigants in soil is not facilitated by DOM. Amending soil with ATS through irrigation is an effective method to remove persistent residues of halogenated fumigants. To reduce groundwater pollution risks posed by fumigation, persistent soil fumigant residues have to be considered.     

Reducing 1,3-dichloropropene emissions from soil columns amended with thiourea

Soil fumigants are becoming an important source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air, especially in some agricultural areas. In this study, we used thiourea to construct a reactive surface barrier (RSB) at the soil surface for reducing 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) volatilization. The agrochemical thiourea could rapidly transform volatile 1,3-D to nonvolatile products via an SN2 nucleophilic substitution reaction. A catalytic mechanism in thiourea-amended soil facilitated the conversion process. A packed soil column system was employed to investigate the emissions and distribution of 1,3-D and optimize the original fumigant emission-reduction strategy. Volatilization of 1,3-D from the soil surface was significantly reduced in columns amended with a thiourea RSB compared with that of bare soil. Volatilization flux and cumulative emissions decreased with increasing thiourea application rate and increasing fumigation depth in packed soil columns. Surface amendment with the RSB did not affect the subsurface distribution of 1,3-D in the soil profile. Combined application of a thiourea RSB and plastic tarps had a synergetic effect in emission control and could eliminate the relatively high fumigant flux that occurs upon tarp disruption. Therefore, this reduced-risk practice was very effective in reducing atmospheric emissions of VOCs from soil treatment with halogenated fumigants.     

Remediation of methyl iodide in aqueous solution and soils amended with thiourea

Methyl iodide (MeI) is considered a very promising fumigant alternative to methyl bromide (MeBr) for controlling soil-borne pests. Because atmospheric emission of highly volatile fumigants contributes to air pollution, feasible strategies to reduce emissions are urgently needed. In this study, thiourea (a nitrification inhibitor) was shown to accelerate the degradation of MeI in soil and water. In aqueous solution, the reaction between MeI and thiourea was independent of pH, although the rate of MeI hydrolysis increased in alkaline solution. Substantial increases in the rate of MeI dissipation were observed in thiourea-amended soils. Transformation of MeI by thiourea in aqueous solution was by a single chemical reaction process, while MeI degradation in thiourea-amended soil apparently involved a catalytic mechanism. The electron delocalization between the thiourea molecule and the surfaces of soil particles is energetically favorable and would increase the nucleophilic reactivity of the thiono group toward MeI, resulting in an enhancement of the dissipation rate. The soil half-life for MeI was reduced from >300 h for unamended soils to only a few hours in soil or sand amended with thiourea at a 2:1 molar ratio (thiourea:MeI). The MeI transformation rate in thiourea-amended soil increased with increasing soil temperature and decreasing soil moisture. Therefore, spraying thiourea on the soil surface to form a "reactive surface barrier" may be an effective and innovative strategy for controlling fumigant emissions to the atmosphere and for improving environmental protection.     

Surface irrigation reduces the emission of volatile 1,3-dichloropropene from agricultural soils

Low-cost, practicable techniques are required to limit the release of volatile organic compound-containing fumigants such as 1,3-D to the atmosphere. In this study, we aimed to quantify 1,3-D diffusion and emission from laboratory soil columns maintained under realistic conditions and thereby assess the efficacy of soil irrigation as a technique for reducing emissions. In two soils (one relatively high, and one relatively low, in organic matter), irrigation led to a limiting of upward diffusion of the fumigant and to the maintenance of higher soil gas concentrations. Therefore, rather than being emitted from the column, the 1,3-D was maintained in the soil where it was ultimately degraded. As a consequence, emission of 1,3-D from the irrigated columns was around half of thatfrom the nonirrigated columns. It is concluded that surface irrigation represents an effective, low-cost, and readily practicable approach to lessening the environmental impact of 1,3-D fumigant use. In addition, the higher organic matter soil exhibited emissions of around one-fifth of the lower organic matter soil in both irrigated and nonirrigated treatments, due to markedly enhanced degradation of the fumigant. Organic matter amendment of soils may, therefore, also represent an extremely effective, relatively low-cost approach to reducing 1,3-D emissions.     

Effect of environmental conditions on the permeability of high density polyethylene film to fumigant vapors

Soil fumigation in greenhouses or agricultural fields often includes tarping the soil surface with polyethylene (PE) films to contain the fumigant in the soil and reduce emissions to the atmosphere. Previous research has demonstrated that PE films are permeable to methyl bromide and other fumigant compounds. In these experiments, the effect of temperature, fumigant mixtures, condensed water, and field aging on the permeability of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was determined. Mass transfer coefficients (h, a measure of permeability) of the fumigants methyl bromide, 1,3-dichloropropene, propargyl bromide, and chloropicrin across HDPE films were determined. In these studies, temperature and HDPE film type had the largest impact on the h of fumigant compounds across HDPE films. Other factors investigated, including fumigant mixtures, condensed water on the film, and field aging of UV-stabilized film, did not have a significant impact on h. The results of these experiments suggest that the permeability of an intact piece of an agricultural film will increase with increasing temperature but is relatively constant despite changes in other environmental conditions.     

Effect of application variables on emissions and distribution of fumigants applied via subsurface drip irrigation

Soil fumigation is useful for controlling soil-borne pests and diseases in high-cash-value crops. Fumigants are highly volatile, and approaches to reduce atmospheric emissions are required to protect human and environmental health. Application of fumigants through drip irrigation has been proposed as a means to decrease fumigant emissions, improve fumigant distribution in soil, and minimize worker exposure. These experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of the configuration of the drip system on the volatilization and distribution of the fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), propargyl bromide (PrBr), and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) in bedded systems. Results indicated that changing the drip emitter spacing and using multiple drip lines in each bed had little effect on the emissions and distribution of any fumigant. Increasing the depth of application from 15 to 30 cm reduced volatilization of MITC by approximately 20 to >90%; emissions were reduced due to a decrease in the flux from the bed top, and deeper injection did not change the amount of fumigant volatilized from the bed side slope and furrow. Increasing the application depth resulted in a slight decrease in the rate of fumigant dissipation in soil, indicating the potential for some improvement in pest-control efficacy with deeper application.     

Evaluation of the permeability of agricultural films to various fumigants

A variety of agricultural films are commercially available for managing emissions and enhancing pest control during soil fumigation. These films are manufactured using different materials and processes which can ultimately result in different permeability to fumigants. A systematic laboratory study of the permeability of the agricultural films to nine fumigants was conducted to evaluate the performance of commonly used film products, including polyethylene, metalized, and high-barrier films. The permeability, as expressed by mass transfer coefficient (cm/h), of 27 different films from 13 manufacturers ranged from below 1 × 10(-4) cm/h to above 10 cm/h at 25 °C under ambient relative humidity test conditions. The wide range in permeability of commercially available films demonstrates the need to use films which are appropriate for the fumigation application. The effects of environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, on the film permeability were also investigated. It was found that high relative humidity could drastically increase the permeability of the high-barrier films. The permeability of some high-barrier films was increased by 2-3 orders of magnitude when the films were tested at high relative humidity. Increasing the temperature from 25 to 40 °C increased the permeability for some high-barrier films up to 10 times more than the permeability at 25 °C, although the effect was minimal for several of these films. Analysis of the distribution of the permeability of the films under ambient humidity conditions to nine fumigants indicated that the 27 films largely followed the material type, although the permeability varied considerably among the films of similar material.     

Reactive films for mitigating methyl bromide emissions from fumigated soil

Emissions of methyl bromide (MeBr) from agricultural fumigation can lead to depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, and so its use is being phased out. However, as MeBr is still widely used under Critical Use Exemptions, strategies are still required to control such emissions. In this work, novel reactive films (RFs) were designed and their efficacy in limiting loss of MeBr from soil was tested. A reactive layer, containing dry ammonium thiosulfate (ATS), was sandwiched between two layers of plastic film, the lower layer being HDPE (high-density polyethylene film, which is permeable to MeBr) and the upper layer HDPE or VIF (virtually impermeable film). MeBr diffusion through, and transformation by, the RFs were tested in a stainless-steel permeability cell. Although ineffective when dry, the RFs substantially depleted MeBr when activated with water to produce ATS solution. MeBr half-life (t(1/2)) was around 9.0 h at 20 °C in the presence of activated RF, and was sensitive to temperature (t(1/2) 15.7 and 2.9 h at 10 and 40 °C, respectively). When the upper film layer was VIF, less than 0.15% of the added MeBr diffused through the film, with the remainder being transformed within the reactive layer. These findings indicate that such films have good potential to reduce MeBr loss from fumigated soils to the atmosphere.     

Formation and extraction of persistent fumigant residues in soils

Fumigants are commonly thought to be short-lived in soil, but residues have been found in soils years following application. In this study, formation and extraction of persistent soil fumigant residues were investigated. Fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), chloropicrin (CP), and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) were spiked into Arlington, Glenelg, and Hagerstown soils and incubated for 30 d under controlled conditions. The incubated soils were evaporated for 20 h prior to extraction with a variety of organic solvents at different temperatures. Extraction with acetonitrile in sealed vials at 80 degrees C for 24 h was the most efficient method to recover persistent soil fumigant residues. At application rates of 1000-1700 mg (kg of soil)(-1), persistent residues of 1,3-D, CP, and MITC in the three soils ranged from 5 to 67 mg kg(-1). The residue content increased with application rate, correlated positively with soil silt content, decreased dramatically as indigenous organic matter (OM) was removed, and changed little with external OM addition. Adsorption to clay surfaces was not important in fumigant retention, while pulverization of soil aggregates significantly decreased persistent fumigant residues. The results suggest that persistent fumigant residues are retained in soil intra-aggregate micropores resulting from binding clay flocs and silt particles by humic substances.     

Identification of volatile/semivolatile products derived from chemical remediation of cis-1,3-dichloropropene by thiosulfate

The prevalent use of soil fumigants has resulted in air pollution in some agricultural regions. Our previous research showed that application of thiosulfate fertilizers at the soil surface may offer an effective and economical approach to reduce the emission of halogenated fumigants via a chemical remediation process. In this fumigant emission-reduction strategy, volatile 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) reacts with thiosulfate to generate a nonvolatile Bunte salt (thiosulfate derivative of 1,3-D). However, the decomposition of the Bunte salt may be associated with the production of perceptible odors. This study investigated the stability of this reaction product in different environmental media. Hydrolysis experiments demonstrated that the thiosulfate derivative was relatively stable in neutral and moderately acidic aqueous solutions. In contrast, the thiosulfate derivative was readily converted to a dialkyl disulfide via a base hydrolysis process in pH 10 buffer solution. In a strongly acidic solution, a mercaptan and a dialkyl disulfide compound were detected as two primary hydrolysis products. In soil, this initial reaction product underwent a series of biotic conversions to generate several volatile or semivolatile organic sulfur compounds. The formation and distribution of four volatile/semivolatile products in the air and soil were detected in different soils treated with the thiosulfate derivative of 1,3-D. This study indicated that odors occurring in soil treated with halogenated fumigants and thiosulfate fertilizers might arise from the generation and release of these and other volatile/semivolatile organic sulfur products. The environmental fate and effects of such volatile/semivolatile sulfur compounds should be considered in the application of sulfur-containing fertilizers in fumigated fields.     

Use of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) enrichments to examine the effects of trans-8, cis-10 CLA, and cis-11, trans-13 CLA on milk-fat synthesis

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplements have typically been comprised of 4 isomers (trans-8, cis-10; cis-9, trans-11; trans-10, cis-12; and cis-11, trans-13 CLA). Abomasal infusion of pure isomers has shown that trans-10, cis-12 CLA is a potent inhibitor of milk-fat synthesis, whereas cis-9, trans-11 CLA has no effect. However, there appear to be additional fatty acids that inhibit milk-fat synthesis, and the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of additional CLA isomers present in CLA supplements. Four rumen fistulated Holstein cows (141+/-8 DIM, mean+/-SE) were randomly assigned in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment. Treatments were abomasal infusion of (1) skim milk (negative control), (2) trans-10, cis-12 CLA supplement (positive control), (3) trans-8, cis-10 CLA supplement, and (4) cis-11, trans-13 CLA supplement. Treatments 2 through 4 were targeted to provide 4 g/d of the CLA isomer of interest. The trans-8, cis-10 CLA supplement had no effect on milk-fat yield, whereas the trans-10, cis-12 CLA supplement reduced milk-fat yield by 35%. The cis-11, trans-13 CLA supplement contained some trans-10, cis-12 CLA, and when data were compared to the positive control treatment group, it was obvious that cis-11, trans-13 CLA also had no effect on milk-fat synthesis. Milk-fat content of specific CLA isomers was significantly elevated within respective treatment groups. Milk yield, DMI, and milk protein yield were unaffected by treatment. Overall, trans-10, cis-12 CLA reduced milk-fat synthesis, whereas the other major isomers present in CLA supplements (trans-8, cis-10 CLA and cis-11, trans-13 CLA) had no effect.     

Thiosulfate and manure amendment with water application and tarp on 1,3-dichloropropene emission reductions

Reducing fumigant emissions is required for minimizing bystander risk and environmental impact. Effective and economic field management methods including commonly used surface sealing technique and soil amendments are needed for achieving emission reductions. This research determined the effectiveness of ammonium thiosulfate (ATS) and composted manure amendments to surface soil in combination with water application or high density polyethylene (HDPE) tarp on reducing emissions of 1,3-D from soil columns. Surface treatments included an untreated control, water seal (single water application at time of fumigant injection), ATS amendments at 1:1 and 2:1 molar ratio of ATS:fumigant, composted steer manure at 3.5 kg m(-2), and HDPE tarp over 1:1 ATS or the manure amendment. Cumulative 1,3-D emission loss over two weeks was greatest for the control (52% of applied). The HDPE tarp over ATS and manure treatments had the lowest 1,3-D emissions at 24 and 16%, respectively. Treatments with ATS or manure alone reduced 1,3-D emissions (29-39%) more effectively than water seal (43%) and further benefit was gained with the addition of HDPE tarp. Amendment of surface soil with organic materials shows greater potential in minimizing fumigant emissions than with chemicals with the need for a better understanding of the organic-fumigant reaction mechanism.     

Soil chamber method for determination of drip-applied fumigant behavior in bed-furrow agriculture: application to chloropicrin

To overcome the environmental impacts of soil fumigant use, emission reduction strategies such as tarping can be adopted. There is a need to experimentally quantify the effectiveness of such strategies, preferably in a low-cost manner. We report the design and initial testing of a laboratory soil chamber approach for quantifying the soil distribution and emissions of fumigants from bed-furrow agricultural systems. As far as possible, field conditions (e.g., soil type, bulk density, moisture content temperature) were maintained in the experiments. In studying the drip application of chloropicrin using this system, very good data reproducibility was observed between replicates, allowing confidence in the experimental design. For control chambers, high emissions, around 60% (of the total added), were observed due to the near-surface (5 cm depth) application. When the soil beds were tarped using high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or semi-impermeable film (SIF), emissions were reduced to around 40% due to an accumulation of chloropicrin below the tarp. The approach offers an inexpensive potential alternative to studying fumigant emissions from bed-furrow systems in the field and suggests that less permeable tarps would be required to drastically reduce chloropicrin emissions.     

Isomerisation of cis-9 trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to trans-9 trans-11 CLA during acidic methylation can be avoided by a rapid base catalysed methylation of milk fat

This study investigated the evolution of trans-9 trans-11 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) from cis-9 trans-11 CLA during methylation and its avoidance through a rapid base methylation of milk fat. The study examined three conditions shown to result in loss of cis-9 trans-11 CLA during methylation namely: temperature, methylation time, water contamination in old reagents and acidic conditions. Three techniques currently used for the conversion of milk fat into fatty acid methyl esters for analysis of CLA content by gas liquid chromatography and a fourth procedure designed to eliminate acidic conditions and to limit methylation temperature and time were used. The four methods were: (i) acidic methylation (AM); (ii) acidic and basic bimethylation with fresh reagents (FBM); (iii) acidic and basic bimethylation with pre-prepared reagents (PBM) and (iv) basic methylation (BM). Each regime was carried out on six milk samples over two periods and methylated 1 ml freeze-dried milk (n=12 per regime). Total CLA was not different across methylation regimes (0.30 mg/ml). Isomer cis-9 trans-11 was higher (P<0.01) with BM than the other regimes and lowest with AM: 21.2, 17.8, 18.8 and 14.7 mg/100 ml for BM, FBM, PBM and AM, respectively. The inverse relationship was shown for trans-9 trans-11 with higher (P<0.001) amounts with AM than the other regimes and lowest with BM: 0.57, 2.55, 2.36 and 3.69 mg/100 ml for BM, FBM, PBM and AM, respectively. The trans-10 cis-12 isomer was also shown to alter with methylation procedure being higher (P<0.001) with AM than the other regimes: 0.43, 0.47, 0.29 and 1.20 mg/100 ml for BM, FBM, PBM and AM, respectively. Validation with known CLA free fatty acid and triacylglycerol standards confirmed that AM resulted in conversion of cis-9 trans-11 to trans-9 trans-11, and also elevated trans-10 cis-12 whilst BM of triacylglycerol CLA did not isomerise cis-9 trans-11 and was comparable to FBM.     

Production of conjugated fatty acids by lactic acid bacteria

Conjugated fatty acids have attracted much attention as a novel type of biologically beneficial functional lipid. Some isomers of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduce carcinogenesis, atherosclerosis, and body fat. Considering the use of CLA for medicinal and nutraceutical purposes, a safe isomer-selective process is required. The introduction of biological reactions for CLA production could be an answer. We screened microbial reactions useful for CLA production, and found several unique reactions in lactic acid bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria produced CLA from linoleic acid. The produced CLA comprised a mixture of cis-9,trans-11-octadecadienoic acid (18:2) and trans-9,trans-11-18:2. Lactobacillus plantarum AKU 1009a was selected as a potential CLA producer. Using washed cells of L. plantarum AKU 1009a as a catalyst, CLA production from linoleic acid reached 40 mg/ml under the optimized conditions. The CLA-producing reaction was found to consist of two successive reactions, i.e., hydration of linoleic acid to 10-hydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid and dehydrating isomerization of the hydroxy fatty acid to CLA. On the basis of these results, the transformation of hydroxy fatty acids by lactic acid bacteria was investigated. Lactic acid bacteria transformed ricinoleic acid (12-hydroxy-cis-9-octadecenoic acid) to CLA (a mixture of cis-9,trans-11-18:2 and trans-9,trans-11-18:2). Castor oil, which is rich in the triacylglycerol form of ricinoleic acid, was also found to act as a substrate for CLA production by lactic acid bacteria with the aid of lipase-catalyzed triacylglycerol hydrolysis. L. plantarum AKU 1009a produced conjugated trienoic fatty acids from alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid. The trienoic fatty acids produced from alpha-linolenic acid were identified as cis-9,trans-11,cis-15-octadecatrienoic acid (18:3) and trans-9,trans-11,cis-15-18:3. Those produced from gamma-linolenic were cis-6,cis-9,trans-11-18:3 and cis-6,trans-9,trans-11-18:3. The conjugated trienoic fatty acids produced from alpha- and gamma-linolenic acid were further saturated by L. plantarum AKU 1009a to trans-10,cis-15-18:2 and cis-6,trans-10-18:2, respectively.     

Conjugated linoleic acid increases in milk when cows fed fish meal and extruded soybeans for an extended period of time

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) stimulating diet for an extended period of time on milk cis-9, trans-11 CLA and vaccenic acid (VA) concentrations. Twenty cows (16 Holstein and 4 Brown Swiss) were divided into 2 groups (n = 10 per treatment) for a 10-wk study. Cows in group 1 were fed a traditional corn-soybean-basal diet (control), while those in group 2 were fed a blend of 0.5% fish oil from fish meal and 2% soybean oil from extruded soybeans (FMESB) to achieve higher milk fat cis-9, trans-11 CLA and VA. Diets were formulated to contain 18% CP and were composed (dry matter basis) of 50% concentrate mix, 25% corn silage, and 25% alfalfa hay. Dry matter intake was not affected by diet. Milk production increased in cows fed the FMESB diet. Milk fat and milk protein percentages decreased with the FMESB diet; however, milk fat and protein yields were not affected by treatments. Milk fat cis-9, trans-11 CLA and VA concentration (g/100 of fatty acids) and yield (g/d) were 2.5-fold greater for cows fed the FMESB diet over the 10 wk of fat supplementation. For cows fed the FMESB diet, contents of milk fat cis-9, trans-11 CLA and VA gradually increased from the first week of fat supplementation, reached the highest concentrations in wk 3, then gradually decreased during wk 4 and 5 and then remained relatively constant until wk 10. The concentration of cis-9, trans-11 CLA and VA from the control diet was relatively constant over the 10 wk of fat supplementation. Concentrations of cis-9, trans-11 CLA and VA in milk fat can be increased within a week by feeding a blend of fish meal and extruded soybeans, and that increase remains relatively constant after wk 5 of fat supplementation.     

Depleting methyl bromide residues in soil by reaction with bases

Despite generally being considered the most effective soil fumigant, methyl bromide (MeBr) use is being phased out because its emissions from soil can lead to stratospheric ozone depletion. However, a large amount is still currently used due to Critical Use Exemptions. As strategies for reducing the postfumigation emissions of MeBr from soil, Ca(OH)(2), K(2)CO(3), and NH(3) were assessed as means of promoting MeBr degradation. Ammonia aqueous solution (NH(4)OH) was the most effective, because MeBr can be degraded by both hydrolysis and ammonolysis. At 20 °C, the half-lives (t(1/2)) of MeBr were 18.0, 2.5, and 1.3 h in 0.1, 1.0, and 2.0 M NH(4)OH, respectively. In 1.0 M NH(4)OH, increasing the solution temperature to 40 °C reduced the half-life of MeBr to 0.23 h. Ammonia amendment to moist soil also promoted MeBr transformation, and the MeBr degradation rate increased with increasing soil temperature. NH(4)OH (30%, 16 M) very effectively reacted with MeBr that was contained under plastic film. Under Hytibar (a virtually impermeable film, VIF), over 99.5% of the MeBr could be destroyed by 30% NH(4)OH in 8 h at 20 °C. On the basis of these results, good management practices (i.e., VIF plus NH(4)OH) could be developed for continued use of MeBr as a soil fumigant under Critical Use Exemptions, without significant emissions.     

Fatty Acid Concentration Effect on Tensile Strength, Elongation, and Water Vapor Permeability of Laminated Edible Films

Water vapor permeability (WVP), tensile strength (TS), and elongation (E) were investigated in laminated methyl cellulose/corn zein-fatty acid films. They were prepared by casting corn zein-fatty acid solutions onto methyl cellulose films. WVP decreased as chain length and concentration of fatty acids increased. The TS of laminated edible film containing palmitic acid decreased as palmitic acid increased. The TS of films containing stearic-palmitic acid blends showed similar trends but there were no significant differences among blends. The TS of the film containing lauric acid was maximum at 30% lauric acid concentration. The E values for films containing fatty acids varied inversely with TS.     

几种土壤熏蒸剂防除烟草苗床杂草的药效试验

对35%"线克"水剂、98%"必速灭"微粒剂、32 7%"维博亩"水剂、32 7%"斯美地"水剂、33 6%"适每地"水剂、98%"棉隆"微粒剂和98%溴甲烷压缩气体等7种不同土壤熏蒸剂防除烟草苗床杂草效果进行了试验。结果表明,7种土壤熏蒸剂对苗床杂草均有较好的防除效果。播种后20d、40d时各处理对杂草数量的平均防效均分别达到95%和90%以上,几种试验药剂与对照药剂溴甲烷相当,可替代溴甲烷在烟草苗床除草中应用。