Mineralization of atrazine (6‐chloro‐N²‐ethyl‐N⁴‐isopropyl‐1,3,5‐ triazine‐2,4‐diamine) in soil treated with a mixture of atrazine and metolachlor (2‐chloro‐6′‐ethyl‐N‐(2‐methoxy‐1‐methylethyl)acet‐o‐toluidide at concentrations typical of point‐source contamination (50 μg g⁻¹ each) was significantly greater (P<0·001) in rhizospheric soil from Kochia scoparia (L.) Roth., a herbicide‐resistant plant, than in non‐vegetated and control soils. Soils were collected from an agrochemical dealership contaminated with several herbicides, including atra‐zine, metolachlor, trifluralin (α,α,α‐trifluoro‐2,6‐dinitro‐N,N‐dipropyl‐p‐toluidine and pendimethalin (N‐(1‐ethylpropyl)‐2,6‐dinitro‐3,4‐xylidene), at concentrations well exceeding the field application rates. Mineralization rates of ring‐labeled atrazine in both rhizospheric and non‐vegetated soils were quite high (>47% of the initial ¹⁴C applied after 36 days) compared to literature values. These results suggest that plants such as Kochia might be managed at pesticide‐contaminated sites to help facilitate microbial degradation of wastes such as atrazine in soil.