Summary
The effects of 15 years of field applications of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetate (2,4-D) on soil microbial population and biochemical processes were studied in a field cropped with maize followed by potatoes. Amine or ester formulations at the rate of 0.95 kg 2,4-D per hectare applied in May and October every year. Fungal, bacterial, and actinomycete populations, and microbial biomass C and N were reduced by the 2,4-D treatment, the reduction being more marked where the ester was used. N mineralization, nitrification, and potentially mineralizable N were reduced by the 2,4-D ester only, while urease activity was depressed by both formulations. Dehydrogenase activity and soil microbial respiration tended to be temporarily increased by the amine, but were reduced substantially by the ester, indicating that the ester probably interfered with nutrient cycling.
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Narain Rai, J.P. Effects of long-term 2,4-D application on microbial populations and biochemical processes in cultivated soil. Biol Fertil Soils 13, 187–191 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336278
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00336278