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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Oxford, Mississippi » National Sedimentation Laboratory » Water Quality and Ecology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #249165
Title: From Vegetated Ditches to Rice Fields: Thinking Outside the Box for Pesticide Mitigation

Author
item Moore, Matthew
item KROGER, ROBERT - Mississippi State University
item Locke, Martin
item COOPER, CHARLES - Retired ARS Employee
item FARRIS, JERRY - Arkansas State University
item BENNETT, ERIN - Bioengineering Group
item DENTON, DEBRA - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Submitted to: American Chemical Society Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2009
Publication Date: 3/15/2010
Citation: Moore, M.T., Kroger, R., Locke, M.A., Cooper, C.M., Farris, J.L., Bennett, E.R., Denton, D.L. 2010. From Vegetated Ditches to Rice Fields: Thinking Outside the Box for Pesticide Mitigation. 239th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, March 21-25, San Francisco, CA. Picogram v. 78: 104.

Interpretive Summary: Abstract Only - Interpretative summary not required.

Technical Abstract: Innovative mitigation strategies are necessary to address pesticide contamination of surface waters. Since 1998, extensive research has been conducted on the ability of vegetated agricultural drainage ditches to reduce pesticide transport to aquatic receiving systems. Recently, new research has proposed diversion of pesticide-laden drainage water through agricultural rice fields. In two seasonal experiments, diazinon-amended water was diverted through two, 0.5 ha rice ponds, as well as a non-vegetated control pond. Spatial and temporal environmental samples were collected to determine diazinon fate. Outflow diazinon concentrations were significantly (p<0.05) decreased from inflow in both vegetated ponds. Although sorption to rice plants was minimal in the overall mass distribution of diazinon (1 – 3%), temporal data indicated diazinon concentrations reached the outflow sediment of the non-vegetated control twice as fast as in either vegetated system. Diversion of pesticide contaminated water through post-harvest rice fields demonstrated potential as a low-cost, environmentally efficient mitigation practice.