Closed form solution for pesticide loss in runoff water.

TLDR: In this article, the authors developed a simple model which would be used to predict runoff losses of pesticides from agricultural lands, which would then enable them to determine the possible effects of best management practices on the volume of pesticides transported via runoff from application sites to surface waters.

Abstract: PESTICIDE use in agriculture has undoubtedly bene-fited crop production efficiency. Its convenience and cost effectiveness have greatly simplified the task of pest control for the farmer, and at the same time have confer-red on consumers the benefit of relatively inexpensive agricultural goods. However, chemical control of agricultural pests has also created numerous ecological problems, problems which are in part caused by the tendency of applied pesticides to migrate away from target fields via runoff and erosion to surrounding sur-face waters. Modeling of pesticide loss in runoff water has been at-tempted by Crawford and Donigian, 1973; Frere et al., 1975; Donigian et al., 1976, 1977; Adams and Kurisu, 1976; McElroy et al., 1976. All but the latter group have developed continuous simulation models that are capable of modeling losses of pesticides that are in-termediate and strongly adsorbed to soil. McElroy et al, 1976, have developed a simple loading formula that only applies to strongly adsorbed pesticides. No one, to our knowledge, has developed a simple procedure for model-ing intermediately adsorbed pesticide loss in the runoff water. The objective of our research was to develop a simple model which would be used to predict runoff losses of pesticides from agricultural lands. Once developed, this model would then enable us to determine the possible ef-fects of best management practices on the volume of pesticides transported via runoff from application sites to surface waters.