PubMed · 2026-05-18
Adding organic matter (compost, manure) to farm soil significantly speeds up the breakdown of two common wheat herbicides, reducing how long they persist and how deeply they leach — potentially lowering contamination risk for groundwater and neighboring plants.
Organic amendments significantly reduced herbicide half-life compared to unamended soil, accelerating degradation of both mesosulfuron-methyl and iodosulfuron-methyl.
Organically amended soils showed measurably reduced leaching behavior, meaning herbicides moved less deeply through the soil profile toward groundwater.
Organic amendments triggered increased soil microbial activity and biochemical responses, suggesting microbes are the primary driver of faster herbicide breakdown.