Changes in bacterial community after application of three different herbicides

Abstract

The native soil microbiota is very important to maintain the quality of that environment, but with the intensive use of agrochemicals, changes in microbial biomass and formation of large quantities of toxic waste were observed in soil, groundwater and surface water. Thereby, the goal of the present study was to evaluate if the selective pressure exerted by the presence of the herbicides atrazine, diuron and 2,4-Dchanges the bacterial community structure of an agricultural soil, using Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) technique. According to Permanova analysis, it was observed a greater effect of the herbicide persistence time in the soil, the effect of the herbicide class and the effect of interaction between these two factors (persistence time and herbicide class). In conclusion, the results showed that the selective pressure exerted by the presence of these herbicides altered the composition of the local microbiota, being atrazine and diuron that most significantly affected the bacterial community in soil and the herbicide 2,4-D was the one that less altered the microbial community and that bacterial community was reestablished first.

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