JOURNAL of Soil Biology and Ecology

Agrochemicals impact on the population of soil-dwelling cryptostigmatids in grassland ecosystems

Author: 

BANASHREE MEDHI

Abstract:

The effects of various agrochemicals on the abundance of cryptostigmatid mites in a grassland habitat was studied from August to February. The agrochemicals included the insecticide Flubendiamide, the acaricide Fenazaquin, the fungicide Tricyclazole, the insect growth regulator (IGR) Buprofezin, and water-soluble fertilizers at a ratio of 50:40:25 kg NPK/ha. In the plots treated with two foliar applications (FA) of Tricyclazole, a lower population of soil cryptostigmatid mites was recorded, with an average of 6.38 cryptostigmatids per 400 grams of soil. This was comparable to the plots treated with one FA of Fenazaquin (7.12) and two FA of Fenazaquin (6.89). In contrast, the plots treated with fertilizers exhibited the highest population of mites, averaging 10.53, which was similar to the results seen in the plots treated with one FA of Buprofezin (11.66), the untreated control plot (9.25), two FA of Buprofezin (10.41), and one FA of Flubendiamide (10.12). The other treatments showed comparable mite populations to each other. Notably, the abundance of Cryptostigmata significantly decreased 10 days after treatment and remained consistent at 30 days after treatment (DAT).

Key words: Buprofezin, Fenazaquin, Fertilizers, Flubendiamide, Soil cryptostigmatids,              Tricyclazole. 

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