Effect of a mixture of flufenacet and isoxaflutole on population numbers of soil-dwelling microorganisms, enzymatic activity of soil, and maize yield

Abstract

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of a mixture of flufenacet + isoxaflutole on counts of microorganisms, ecophysiological diversity index (EP), colony development index (CD) and on the enzymatic activity of soil and maize growth. The experiment was conducted with sandy clay, to which the tested herbicide was administered in doses of: 0.25, 5.0, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg. Soil without the addition of the mixture served as the control. Results demonstrated that the tested mixture contributed to a decrease in numbers of Azotobacter, organotrophic bacteria, actinobacteria and fungi. The negative effect of the herbicide could also be noticed in the case of the enzymatic activity of soil. Soil contamination contributed to suppressed activities of dehydrogenases, catalase, urease, alkaline phosphatase and arylsulfatase. In turn, the initial increase in the activity of β-glucosidase was followed by its decline observed with time. The flufenacet + isoxaflutole mixture affected also maize plant growth, reducing maize dry matter yield when used at doses from 5.0 to 160 mg/kg. In summary, it may be concluded that mixture evokes a negative effect on the microbiological and biochemical activity of soil and that their excess in the soil leads to plant decay as at the seeding stage.