Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] was readily bound to kaolinite, illite, and bentonite clay and to charcoal and muck but not to ethyl cellulose. Fe+++ and Al+++-saturated clays and organic matter adsorbed more glyphosate than Na+ or Ca+-saturated clays and organic matter. Glyphosate appears to be bound to the soil through the phosphonic acid moiety as phosphate in the soil competed with 14C-glyphosate for adsorption sites. Glyphosate mobility in the soil was very limited and was affected by pH, phosphate level, and soil type. The 14C-glyphosate was biodegraded in soil to 14CO2 possibly by co-metabolism. Potentiometric titrations of the compound gave pKa values of 2, 2.6, 5.6, and 10.6.

Radioactive glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] is rapidly absorbed with a large portion of the 14C translocated to the rhizomes and untreated shoots of quackgrass [Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.]. The adjuvant used with glyphosate was important in determining its phytotoxicity to quackgrass. In other perennial weeds and annual species, glyphosate also moved to the areas of highest metabolic activity. In Canada thistle [Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.], bentazon (3-isopropyl-1H-2,1,3-benzothiadiazin-(4) 3H-one 2,2-dioxide) at 2.24 kg/ha applied prior to treatment with 14C-glyphosate reduced 14C translocation. Iron or nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) did not appear to effect glyphosate activity on wheat (Triticium aestivum L. ‘Avon’). The respiration of quackgrass treated with glyphosate was significantly reduced 9 days after treatment. Glyphosate reduced total photosynthesis more in quackgrass than in wheat.

Adsorption of14C-imazaquin {2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl]-3-quinolinecarboxylic acid} and imazethapyr [2-(4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-5-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-5-ethyl-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid] to soil increased as soil pH decreased from 8.0 to 3.0 in laboratory studies. Significantly more imazethapyr3(AC-263,499) than imazaquin was adsorbed at soil pH levels 3.0 and 5.5, while the greatest difference in adsorption behavior between the two herbicides was observed at a soil pH of 5.5. In greenhouse studies, phytotoxicity to corn (Zea maysL.) was greater for imazaquin than AC-263,499 applied at 26 and 53 g ai/ha. There were significant pH by herbicide and pH by rate interactions, but in trend analysis only a small proportion of the corn response (r2= 0.01 to 0.35) was attributed to increasing soil pH values. In field studies where imazaquin was applied to soil pH levels of 4.2 to 4.8, 5.4 to 5.5, and 5.8 to 6.2, injury to corn across all pH levels decreased as the time delay between herbicide application and corn planting increased. There was no significant effect of soil pH on imazaquin injury to corn planted in July or August. Decreased injury from imazaquin was observed in 1985 on corn planted in June on the soil pH of 5.8 to 6.2. Imazaquin injury was less for June-planted corn in 1984 than in 1985, across all soil pH levels.

In greenhouse studies, soil applications of 14C-methyl-labeled glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] were not readily absorbed by corn (Zea mays L. ‘Michigan 400’) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. ‘Hark’]. However, glyphosate available to plants in sand culture was absorbed. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ‘Avon’) a sensitive bioassay plant, was used to detect the herbicide. Clay loam and muck soil rapidly inactivated 56 kg/ha of glyphosate. Autoclaving of the soil did not prevent the inactivation of glyphosate. In a sandy clay loam soil, application of 56 kg/ha of glyphosate decreased plant growth with increasing pH. Additions of 98 or 196 kg/ha of phosphate to the soil surface decreased glyphosate inactivation in the soil. It is postulated that initial inactivation of glyphosate in soil is by reversible adsorption to clay and organic matter through the phosphonic acid moiety.

Absorption and translocation of14C-fluazifop-butyl {butyl ester of (±)-2-[4-[[5-(trifluoromethyl)-2-pyridinyl] oxy] phenoxy] propanoate} was compared in susceptible quackgrass [Agropyron repens(L.) Beauv. ♯3AGRRE] and tolerant soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.]. Foliar absorption was more rapid in soybeans with 75% of the recovered14C absorbed 6 h after treatment compared to 36% in quackgrass. Translocation of the radiolabel occurred in both soybean and quackgrass with no significant difference between the species. Differential absorption and translocation did not contribute to the selectivity of fluazifop-butyl. Herbicidal activity was lower on quackgrass plants at the five- to six-leaf stage when compared to the two- to three-leaf stage. Greater quackgrass control was observed at 30 than at 20 C. Foliar absorption of14C-fluazifop-butyl was significantly greater at 30 than at 20 C. Translocation of the radiolabel was greater in plants exposed to full light as compared to shade. Moisture stress significantly reduced quackgrass control with fluazifop-butyl.