Using Biological Test to Confirm Enhanced Biostimulation of Atrazine Degraders in an Atrazine Adapted Soil

پوختە

The repeated application of xenobiotic herbicides to soils tends to cause enhanced degradation of such compounds by native soil microorganisms (biostimulation). Two field experiments were conducted in 2002 and 2003 at the Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University of control effectiveness and phytotoxicity to Corchorus olitorius sown to succeed maize in rotation in an atrazine-adapted soil. The results show that atrazine at all the rates considered did not provide seasonlong weed control in the 12-week late maturing maize. Also, the atrazine residue from maize cropping was no longer phytotoxic to the extent of adversely affecting the growth and yield of Corchorus olitorius. There was no consistent correlation between increasing dose of atrazine and the growth and yield parameters of Corchorus olitorius in the two years. Therefore, since the atrazine did not provide a season-long weed control in an atrazine adapted soil owing to enhanced microbial degradation, it is suggested that the vegetable may be adopted as the rotational crop of choice after a maize crop in which atrazine has been used for selective weed control.