Assessing the Impact of Pesticides on the Agricultural Environment

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2024 | Viewed by 771

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: microorganisms in soil; water and air; soil quality; environmental; ecotoxicology; heavy metals; impact of pesticides

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pesticides are increasingly being applied to agricultural crops to increase agricultural productivity and crop yields. Their inappropriate and excessive use has adverse effects on the environment, especially on the soil. Soil is a major component of terrestrial ecosystems and a source of nutrients for plants and various organisms. Soil supports biological processes, prevents the transfer of pollutants and acts as a buffer to protect groundwater and plants from pollution. Soil microorganism communities and soil enzyme activities are considered basic indicators of soil fertility and pollution status. These features respond promptly to environmental changes by reflecting biological changes caused by pollution and contamination. The increase in the use of pesticides has led to water pollution and ecological problems, creating a negative impact on the environment with repercussions on animal and human health. This Special Issue focuses on the impact of pesticides on the environment, particularly on soil microbiota, soil fertility and agricultural productivity. The mechanisms of action and the impact of pesticides on microorganisms, organisms and ecosystems as a whole are still insufficiently studied. With this Special Issue, we hope to uncover new insights into the efficient management of the application of pesticides in agriculture.

Dr. Marioara Nicoleta Caraba
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • pesticides
  • soil science
  • soil quality
  • microbial diversity
  • microbial bioremediation
  • plant growing
  • crops protection
  • risk assessment
  • agricultural environmental

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 2367 KiB  
Article
Soil Enzymatic Response to Nicosulfuron: A Preliminary Study in a Chernozem Typical to the Banat Plain, Western Romania
by Marioara Nicoleta Caraba, Ion Valeriu Caraba, Elena Pet, Ioan Pet, Luminita Crisan, Adrian Sinitean and Delia Hutanu
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1380; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081380 - 16 Aug 2024
Viewed by 544
Abstract
Nicosulfuron, despite being a post-emergence herbicide commonly used in corn crops to combat weeds, there is still little information on nicosulfuron toxicity for soil microbiota. Little information exists on the impact of nicosulfuron on the enzymatic activities of soil dehydrogenases (Deh), urease (Ure), [...] Read more.
Nicosulfuron, despite being a post-emergence herbicide commonly used in corn crops to combat weeds, there is still little information on nicosulfuron toxicity for soil microbiota. Little information exists on the impact of nicosulfuron on the enzymatic activities of soil dehydrogenases (Deh), urease (Ure), catalase (Cat), and alkaline phosphatase (Alp). We used a multiple dose- and time point (7, 14, 21, and 28 days) study design to determine the effect of nicosulfuron on these parameters during the first 28 days post-application. The soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter content (OM), water content, ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), and available phosphate were also monitored. Ure was the most responsive enzyme to nicosulfuron. This herbicide exerted a transitory dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effect on Deh activity; maximum inhibition occurred at 14 days at doses from the normal recommended dose onward. For Ure, the maximal inhibitory effect started at 7 days of exposure to half the normal recommended dose and continued for another 14 days. The effect on Cat occurred later, whereas Alp activity was affected by nicosulfuron between 7 and 21 days but only for triple the normal recommended dose. OM showed the most consistent relationships with these parameters, being strongly positively correlated with Deh, Cat, and Alp activities. These results indicate that nicosulfuron may alter the soil metabolic activity, thus affecting its fertility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Assessing the Impact of Pesticides on the Agricultural Environment)
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