Impact of commonly used agrochemicals on bacterial diversity in cultivated soils

Abstract

The effects of three selected agrochemicals on bacterial diversity in cultivated soil have been studied. The selected agrochemicals are Cerox (an insecticide), Ceresate and Paraquat (both herbicides). The effect on bacterial population was studied by looking at the total heterotrophic bacteria presence and the effect of the agrochemicals on some selected soil microbes. The soil type used was loamy with pH of 6.0-7.0. The soil was placed in opaque pots and bambara bean (Vigna subterranean) seeds cultivated in them. The agrochemicals were applied two weeks after germination of seeds at concentrations based on manufacturer's recommendation. Plant growth was assessed by weekly measurement of plant height, foliage appearance and number of nodules formed after one month. The results indicated that the diversity index (Di) among the bacteria populations in untreated soil and that of Cerox-treated soils were high with mean diversity index above 0.95. Mean

Improvement of growth and yield of soybean plants through the application of non-thermal plasmas to seeds with different health status

“…Although agrochemicals offer protection for crops and help improving yields, they may constitute potential hazards for human health and for the environment when they are indiscriminate and inadequate used. Some of the chemicals may remain in the environment persistently, bio-accumulate and/or provoke toxicity to the biotic components of the agroecosystems (Ampofo et al., 2009). In addition, the intensive use of fungicides has historically led to the appearance of resistant fungal strains (Hahn, 2014).…”

Influence of the soil microbial populations on population density of Beauveria bassiana under the effect of insecticides

“…Native microbial populations are the main agents of changes in molecules that are metabolised in water and soils (Alexander, 1981), decreasing the toxicity of these substances and reducing their inhibitory potential on entomopathogenic fungi population. They may interfere with the effect of pesticides on these fungi through degradation of these products, since many of them are used by soil microorganisms as a source of carbon (Ampofo et al, 2009). During the catabolism of the pesticides, soil microbial biomass can increase due to the presence of carbon sources and compete with entomopathogen populations for space and nutrients (Canfield et al, 2005), or inhibit them through the liberation of compounds with fungistatic effects (Fernando et al, 2005;de Boer et al, 2007).…”

Microbiological Assessment of Some Liquid Herbal Medications Sold in Awka Metropolis, Anambra State

“…It is becoming more mainstream as improvements in analysis and quality control along with advances in clinical research show the value of herbal medicine in the treating and preventing diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that four billion people (about 80 percent of the world population) use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care [1]. The term "herbal drugs" denotes plants and plant parts that have been converted into phytopharmaceuticals by means of some simple processes involving harvesting, drying and storage [2].…”

“…According to the World Health Organization, herbal preparations contain plant parts or plant material in crude or processed state as active ingredients and may contain excipients (foreign substances) [3]. It is important to note that any combination with chemically defined active substances or isolated constituents is not considered herbal preparations [1]. Similarly, the European Medicine Evaluation Agency (EMEA) defines herbal preparations as medicinal product containing exclusively herbal drugs or herbal drug preparations as active substances [2].…”