hl_foliage

Half-life of the pesticide on the foliage

The half-life for a pesticide defines the number of days required for a given pesticide concentration to be reduced by one-half. The half-life entered for a pesticide is a lumped parameter that includes the net effect of volatilization, photolysis, hydrolysis, biological degradation and chemical reactions.

For most pesticides, the foliar half-life is much less than the soil half-life due to enhanced volatilization and photodecomposition. If the foliar half-life is available for the pesticide this value should be used. If the foliar half-life is not available, the foliar half-life can be estimated using the following rules:

1. Foliar half-life is assumed to be less than the soil half-life by a factor of 0.5 to 0.25, depending on vapor pressure and sensitivity to photodegradation.

2. Foliar half-life is adjusted downward for pesticides with vapor pressures less than 10-5 mm Hg.

3. The maximum foliar half-life assigned is 30 days.