Accelerated degradation of thiocarbamate herbicides in Israeli soils following repeated use of vernolate

Accelerated degradation of vernolate, EPTC and butylate but not of cycloate was detected in soils from three locations in Israel which were treated annually with vernolate. Repeated application of EPTC to soils with and without a history of vernolate application, under laboratory conditions, resulted in a progressive increase in its rate of dissipation with each application. Accelerated degradation of EPTC was also rapidly induced by mixing small amounts (5%) of soil with a history of vernolate treatment with soil that had never received vernolate. Liberation of 14CO2 from [14C]EPTC was more rapid in vernolate‐treated soils than in untreated soils, indicating a development of microbial populations in soil capable of rapidly degrading the EPTC. Degradation of [14C]EPTC was faster in soil previously cropped with maize than in non‐cropped soil, but slower in soils cropped with cotton or peanuts.