Flazasulfuron [1-(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)-3-(3-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridylsulfonyl) urea] has been used in Brazil the selective control of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous weeds grown in the sugarcane and tomato crops. There is a lack of information in the literature about flazasulfuron behavior in soils. In this study, flazasulfuron retention was measured in batch equilibration, at 1:1 soil/solution ratio for Brazilian surface and subsurface soil samples and hydrolysis at different pH and temperature values. Sorption and desorption experiments were carried out at concentrations of 0.07 to 5.00 mgL-1 and quantification by HPLC. Hydrolysis of flazasulfuron was dependent on temperature and pH, following a first order model. The half-life of the herbicide in aqueous solution varied from 0.76 hours at 35 ºC and pH 3 to 167.4 hours at 25 ºC and pH 5. Sorption isotherms were nonlinear with Kf,ads values ranging from 1.19 (1/n ads = 0.40) to 27.97 (1/n ads = 0.90) correlated positively and significantly to organic carbon (r= 0.78), silt (r= 0.75) and CTC (r= 0.61). Flazasulfuron adsorption was lower in samples with higher pH values, indicating a greater risk of leaching under that condition.
sulfonylureas; retention; soil
