C-14 DIURON DEGRADATION IN SOIL AND IN SU GARCANE PLANTS (SACCHARUM SPP)

Uptake of diuron from sugar-cane was detected in plants cultivated in lysimeter conditions in Sandy Clay soils treated with C-14-diuron. Upt ake was detected from three weeks after plants germination with a maxi mum at four weeks. Plants from Sandy Clay had higher uptake than the p lants on Clay soil. Besides diuron the metabolites dichlorophenylmethy lurea (DCPMU) and dichlorophenylurea (DCPU) were also detected in the extracts of leaves of four and eight weeks after germination. At harve st, no activity was detected in the sugar-cane juices (garapa). In soi ls degradation of diuron to DCPMU and DCPU was also noticed at 16 week s in Sandy Clay soil and 32 weeks in Clay soil, indicating a faster he rbicide degradation in the plants tissues.