Actually, it does (as anyone who has used it in a warm greenhouse has learned to their chagrin), and it is broken down by microorganisms in the soil. And since it is a foliar contact herbicide (absorbed through the leaves) putting it on the ground is pointless, useless and wasteful.
Depending on the crop, it can be anywhere from 7 to 60 days, per the label directions.
The author of the Mother Earth News article was apparently too busy stirring up angst to do anything boring like check their "facts." For example, Roundup has been proven to have little value as a drying agent, and is rarely used that way, but the author made it sound like it's a routine practice. I wonder what else they are spinning for the sake of a story?
