Degradation of fenamiphos in agricultural production soil.

Nematicides are used to control a wide variety of nematodes on many crops; unfortunately, oftentimes the control they provide is erratic. This erratic behavior is not always predictable and has been associated with chemical, physical, and biological degradation of nematicides. Their accelerated degradation is an agricultural problem that has been observed in crop monocultures and in other crop production systems where a biodegradable compound is repeatedly applied to the same soil. The problem can occur in field soil and golf course greens; it is not unique to any single nematicide or class of nematicides, but rather to many classes of pesticides. As indicated by the population density of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) in the soil in a 6-year sweet corn-sweet potato-vetch rotation, the efficacy of the nematicide fenamiphos diminished during the third year. Therefore, use of the nematicide applied immediately before planting sweet corn, sweet potato, and vetch should not exceed 3 years. After 3 years, the crop rotation and(or) the nematicide should be changed.