title: Effects of Prochloraz fungicide on soil enzymatic activities and bacterial communities.
abstract: We studied in the laboratory the effect of Prochloraz fungicide on the biological properties (soil enzymatic activities and soil bacterial communities) of a Plaggic Anthrosol. Five hundred grams of soil (<2mm) was mixed with three dosages of Prochloraz (1, 2, and 4 l ha(-1)) for 83 days. A non-Prochloraz polluted soil was used as control. Following commercial recommendations, fungicide was applied four times during the incubation experiment. For all treatments, the soil ergosterol and levels of dehydrogenase, urease, β-glucosidase, and phosphatase activity were measured at nine different times (0, 1, 21, 22, 41, 42, 62, 63, and 83 days). The 16S rDNA-DGGE profiles in all treatments were determined at the beginning and end of the incubation period. At the end of the experiment, a significant decrease in ergosterol by 72.3%, 80.8%, and 83.1%, compared with control soil, was observed when 1, 2, and 4 l ha(-1), respectively, was added. Soil enzymatic activities increased when the Prochloraz applied to the soil increased, possibly because the fungicide is used by bacterial communities as a source of energy and nutrients. The 16S rDNA-DGGE profiles indicated that the fungicide did not negatively affect soil bacterial biodiversity. These results suggested that the fungicide Prochloraz has a very interesting agronomic effect, possibly due to the negative effect on soil fungal population stimulating the growth of soil bacterial activity.
authors: Grupo de investigación "Edafología ambiental," Departamento de Cristalografía, Mineralogía y Química Agrícola, E.T.S.I.A. Universidad de Sevilla, Crta de Utrera km. 1, 41013 Seville, Spain. mtmoral@us.es
authors: Manuel
authors: M
authors: Tejada
authors: Isidoro
authors: I
authors: Gómez
authors: Ana María
authors: AM
authors: García-Martínez
authors: Paloma
authors: P
authors: Osta
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Parrado