Failing to mix volatile pesticides thoroughly into soil causes which effect?

• A. Vapor drift when the pesticide comes into contact with air
• B. Reduced volatility
• C. Enhanced soil incorporation
• D. Slower degradation

Answer: (A)

Volatile pesticides tend to evaporate, so if you apply them to soil and don’t mix them in, a larger portion stays near the surface where it meets air. That exposure allows the chemical to vaporize and be carried by air currents away from the application site, creating vapor drift. Thoroughly mixing into the soil reduces contact with air and thus lowers this drift. The other ideas don’t fit because volatility is a property of the chemical and isn’t reduced just by leaving it on the surface; better incorporation would come from proper mixing, not the lack of it; and degradation rates depend on several factors beyond whether the product was mixed into the soil.