Abstract

Despite their crop protection benefits, herbicides may produce a wide range of possible environmental implications due to their persistence in the ecosystem. They can enter the soil from direct spraying onto the soil surface, irrigation runoff, or release from the dead vegetation. Microbial degradation is the main mechanisms responsible for the transformation and detoxification of most herbicidal compounds in soil. The microbial availability of herbicides for biodegradation in the soil is primarily determined by factors like adsorption, desorption, biodegradation and non-extractable residue formation. Exploring these processes can lead to better understanding the efficacy and fate of the herbicide in the environment. Here we present a short review of the processes affecting the bioavailability of herbicides in the soil and their subsequent influence on the environmental fate of these compounds.

Keywords: Adsorption; Desorption; Biodegradation; Nonextractable residues