JOURNAL of Soil Biology and Ecology

The interactive effect of agrochemicals and abiotic factors on soil mesofauna in the grassland ecosystem

Author

BANASHREE MEDHI

Abstract:

Investigation of the effect of agrochemicals as one and two applications of insecticide (Flubendiamide), acaricide (Fenazaquin), fungicide (Tricyclazole), IGR (Buprofezin) and water- soluble fertilizers (50: 40: 25 kg NPK / ha) on the abundance of soil mesofauna was studied in a natural grassland habitat cover with a thick mat of grasses (Botanical garden) in the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK Campus, Bangalore. The order of toxicity to soil mesofauna was Fenazaquin (1FA) (27.12) > Tricyclazole (2FA) (29.89) > Fenazaquin (2FA) (30.43) > untreated control (32.71). The least toxic treatment to soil mesofauna was fertilizer (45.23), which was on par with Buprofezin (2 FA) (43.00) and Flubendiamide (1 FA) (41.71). Fenazaquin (1 FA) significantly affected soil mesofauna at 65, 80 and 165 DAT over the untreated control. A significant relationship existed between the abundance of soil mesofauna and abiotic factors. Minimum temperature, total rainfall, and in situ soil moisture showed significant positive correlations with soil mesofauna. Abiotic factors accounted for 79.6 per cent of the variation in soil mesofauna abundance. Linear regression analysis showed that in situ soil moisture and minimum soil temperature accounted for up to 79.5% of the variation in soil mesofauna abundance. A unit change in soil moisture led to a 0.778 unit increase in mesofauna abundance. A unit change in minimum soil temperature led to a 0.529- unit increase.

Key words: Abiotic factors, Agrochemicals, FYM, Soil mesofauna, Soil temperature

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