Articles | Volume 12, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-17-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-12-17-2026
Original research article
 | 
12 Jan 2026
Original research article |  | 12 Jan 2026

Living cover crops alter the fate of pesticide residues in soil: influence of pesticide physicochemical properties

Noé Vandevoorde, Igor Turine, Alodie Blondel, and Yannick Agnan

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Cited articles

Agnan, Y., Alletto, L., Boithias, L., Budzinski, H., Giuliano, S., Deswarte, C., and Pelletier, A.: Suivis pluriannuels des transferts verticaux de pesticides dans des sols de vallée alluviale en monoculture de maïs irriguée [Multi-year monitoring of vertical pesticide transfer in irrigated maize monoculture soils in alluvial valley], in: 49e congrès du Groupe Français de Recherche sur les Pesticides, Montpellier, France, https://biogeoscience.eu/Files/Other/conferences/2019_Agnan_et_al_GFP.pdf (last access: 1 March 2025), 2019. a, b, c, d, e, f
Alletto, L.: Dynamique de l'eau et dissipation de l'isoxaflutole et du dicétonitrile en monoculture de maïs irrigué : effets du mode de travail du sol et de gestion de l'interculture [Water dynamics and dissipation of isoxaflutole and dicetonitrile in irrigated maize monoculture: effects of tillage method and intercrop management], Ph.D. thesis, INAPG, AgroParisTech, Paris, France, https://pastel.hal.science/pastel-00003244 (last access: 1 March 2025), 2007. a
Alletto, L., Benoit, P., Justes, E., and Coquet, Y.: Tillage and fallow period management effects on the fate of the herbicide isoxaflutole in an irrigated continuous-maize field, Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 153, 40–49, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2012.03.002, 2012. a, b
Alliot, C., Mc Adams-Marin, D., Borniotto, D., and Baret, P. V.: The social costs of pesticide use in France, Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1027583, 2022. a
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Short summary
Cover crops (CC) are known to help capture nitrates, but their role in mitigating pesticide impacts has been less studied. We evaluated how two CC densities (vs. bare soil) affected pesticide residues in soil and solution over 3 months in a greenhouse pot experiment. Our results show that well-developed CCs enhance pesticide biodegradation across a wide range of active substances, likely by sustaining active edaphic microbiota. This further confirms the role of CCs in groundwater protection.
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