Clay loam soil from agricultural field of Gangetic alluvial zone of West Bengal was investigated to evaluate the effect of chlorpyrifos application at field rate (0.5 mg kg(-1) soil) and 100 times of the field rate (50 mg kg(-1) soil) on soil microbial variables under laboratory conditions. Acetone-induced stress on soil microorganisms was evident in the initial stages in terms of microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content in soil and basal soil respiration (BSR) in control soil samples which received acetone only as compared to control soil without acetone. The soil MBC content increased significantly by application of chlorpyrifos. The BSR and the fluorescein diacetate hydrolysing activity (FDHA) were not adversely affected by chlorpyrifos at field rate, whilst the chemical at higher dosage significantly decreased the metabolic activities of soil microbes in terms of BSR and FDHA.

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