Original Articles: 2015 Vol: 7 Issue: 4
Impact of chlorothalonil and propiconazole on enzyme activities in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) soils
Abstract
This study was undertaken to determine the impact of fungicides, propiconazole and chlorothalonil on dehydrogenase and phosphatase activities in two groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) soils. The effect of these two fungicides was assessed over a period of five weeks for dehydrogenase and a period of 40 days for phosphatase. Soil samples collected from groundnut fields were treated with fungicides at different concentrations i.e 10, 25, 50, 75, 100 ppm, which are equivalent to field application rates (1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 kg ha-1) in the laboratory. The formation of triphenyl formazan (TPF) was significantly enhanced at 5.0 kg ha-1 up to 3 weeks in laterite and vertisol soils, individual increments in dehydrogenase activity ranged from a low increase +15% +93%, +6% to +71% and +17% to +118%, +12% to +100% in black and red soils. Furthermore increase in concentration of fungicides i.e., at 7.5 and 10.0 kg ha-1 decreased the rate of dehydrogenase activity after a week, and then decline phase was started gradually from 3 to 5 weeks of incubation. Where as in case of phosphatase the accumulation of p- nitrophenol was significantly increased in propiconazole and chlorothalonil treated soils at 5.0 and 2.5 kg ha-1, respectively. Individual increments of phosphatase activity ranged from a low increase +7% +33%, +1% to +23% and +2% to +25%, +5% to +22% in black and red soils. Furthermore increase in concentration of fungicides (7.5 and 10.0 kg ha-1) decreased the rate of phosphatase activity after 10 days, and then decline phase was started gradually after 30 and 40 days of incubation.