Reducing Atmospheric Emissions of 1,3-D From Large Fields Using Organic Amendments.

Soil fumigation is important for growing many fruits and vegetable crops but fumigant emissions may contaminate the atmosphere. Field experiments were conducted to measure subsurface movement and emission of the 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) after shank injection to a large agricultural field. Aerodynamic, integrated horizontal flux and theoretical profile shape methods were used to obtain emission rates and cumulative emission values after fumigating a field which had composted municipal green waste added to the surface layer. The volatilization rates were measured continuously for 16 days and total emissions were found to be approximately 75-80% less than observed in non-amended soil. Significant reductions in emission of 1,3-D are possible when the surface soil has been amended with composted municipal green waste materials.