Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Influence of insecticides alone and in combination with fungicides on enzyme activities in soils

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Two insecticides, monocrotophos and chlorpyrifos alone and in combination with two fungicides, mancozeb and carbendazim, respectively, were assessed for their effects on the activities of arylamidase (as glucose formed from sinigrin), dehydrogenase (in terms of triphenyl formazan formed from triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) and myrosinase (as β-naphthylamine formed from l-leucine β-naphthylamide) in vertisol and laterite soils collected from a fallow groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) field. The influence of selected pesticides, alone and in combination on enzyme activities was concentration dependent; the activities increased with increasing concentration of the pesticides up to 2.5 kg ha−1, whereas application of monocrotophos alone showed maximum enzyme activities up to 5.0 kg ha−1, in both soils. However, higher concentrations (7.5 and 10 kg ha−1) of the pesticides were either innocuous or toxic to the enzyme activities. The significant stimulation in the activities of arylamidase, dehydrogenase and myrosinase, was associated with 2.5 kg ha−1. The maximum stimulation in arylamidase and myrosinase activity was observed at 20-day incubation, and the enzyme activities decreased gradually at 30 and 40 days of incubation. Significant increase in dehydrogenase activity was observed at 21-day incubation, and the enzyme activity decreased gradually at 28 and 35 days of incubation in both vertisol and laterite soils. The results of the present study thus, clearly, indicate that application of the insecticides alone or in combination with fungicides, in cultivation of groundnut, at field application rates improved the activities of arylamidase, dehydrogenase and myrosinase in soils.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta-Martinez V, Tabatabai MA (2000) Arylamidase activity in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:215–221

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alexander M (1977) Introduction to soil microbiology, 2nd edn. Wiley, New York, pp 113–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Angus JF, Grander PA, Kirkegaard JA, Desmarchelier JM (1994) Biofumigation: isothiocyanates released from Brassica roots inhibit growth of the take-all fungus. Plant Soil 162:107–112

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Antonious GF (2003) Impact of soil management and two botanical insecticides on urease and invertase activity. J Environ Sci Health B 38:479–488

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Appel W (1974) Peptidases. In: Bergmeyer HU (ed) Methods of enzymatic analysis, vol 2. Academic Press, New York, pp 949–954

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ayyanna T, Arjuna Rao P, Subbaratnam GV, Krishnamurthy Rao BH, Narayana KL (1982) Chemical control of Spodoptera litura Fabricus on groundnut crop. Pesticides 16:19–20

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown PD, Morra MJ (1997) Control of soil-borne plant pests using glucosinolate-containing plants. Adv Agron 61:167–231

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chendrayan K, Adhya TK, Sethunathan N (1980) Dehydrogenase and invertase activities of flooded soils. Soil Biol Biochem 12:271–273

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cycon M, Piotrowska-Seget Z, Kozdroj J (2010) Responses of indigenous microorganisms to a fungicidal mixture of mancozeb and dimethomorph added to sandy soils. Int Biodet Biodegra 64:316–323

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Floch C, Anne-Celine C, Karine J, Yvan C, Steven C (2011) Indicators of pesticide contamination: soil enzyme compared to functional diversity of bacterial communities via biolog ecoplates. Eur J Soil Biol 47:256–263

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Getenga NC, Weil RR (2006) Elements of the nature and properties of soils (p. 5). Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs

  • Hiwada K, Ito T, Yokoyama M, Kokubu T (1980) Isolation and characterization of membrane-bound arylamidases from human placenta and kidney. Eur J Biochem 104:155–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hiwada K, Yamaguchi C, Inaoka Y, Kokubu T (1977) Neutral arylamidase in urine healthy and nephritic children. Clin Chim Acta 75:31–39

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ismail BS, Yapp KF, Omar O (1998) Effects of metsulfuron-methyl on amylase, urease, and protease activities in two soils. Aust J Soil Res 36:449–456

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jayamadhuri R, Rangaswamy V (2009) Biodegradation of selected insecticides by Bacillus and Pseudomonas sps in groundnut fields. Toxicol Int 16:127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalam A, Tah J, Mukherjee AK (2004) Pesticide effects on microbial population and soil enzyme activities during vermicomposting of agricultural waste. J Environ Biol 25:201–208

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kucharski J, Jastrzebska E, Wyszkowska J, Hiasko A (2000) Effect of pollution with diesel oil and leaded petrol on enzymatic activity of the soil. Zesz Probl Poste p Nauk Rol 472:457–464 (in Polish)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu J, Xie J, Chu Y, Sun C, Chen C, Wang Q (2008) Combined effect of cypermethrin and copper on catalase activity in soil. J Soils Sed 8:327–332

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mayanglambam T, Vig K, Singh DK (2005) Quinalphos persistence and leaching under field conditions and effects of residues on dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphomonoesterases activities in soil. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 75:1067–1076

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Megharaj M, Boul HL, Thiele JH (1999a) Effects of DDT and its metabolites on soil algae and enzymatic activity. Biol Fertil Soils 29:130–134

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Megharaj M, Kookana K, Singleton S (1999b) Activities of fenamiphos on native algae population and some enzyme activities in soil. Soil Biol Biochem 39:1549–1553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menon P, Gopal M, Parsad R (2005) Effects of chlorpyrifos and quinalphos on dehydrogenase activities and reduction of Fe3+ in the soils of two semi-arid fields of tropical India. Agric Ecosyst Environ 108:73–83

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nweke CO, Ntinugwa C, Obah IF, Ike SC, Eme GE, Opara EC, Okolo JC, Nwanyanwu CE (2007) In vitro effects of metals and pesticides on dehydrogenase activity in microbial community of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) rhizoplane. Afr J Biotechnol 6:290–295

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey S, Singh DK (2006) Soil dehydrogenase, phosphomonoesterase and arginine deaminase activities in an insecticide treated groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) field. Chemosphere 63:869–880

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Patil RK, Shekarappa (2002) Management of Spodoptera litura F on groundnut with newer insecticides. Pestol 26:23–24

  • Rangaswamy V, Reddy BR, Venkateswarlu K (1994) Activities of dehydrogenase and protease in soil as influenced by monocrotophos, quinalphos, cypermethrin fenvalerate. Agric Ecosyst Environ 47:319–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sha JJ (1999) A manual of industrial and chemical production: agricultural chemicals. Chemical Industry Press, Beijing, pp 13–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh DK, Kumar S (2008) Nitrate reductase, arginine deaminase, urease and dehydrogenase activities in natural soil (ridges with forest) and in cotton soil after acetamiprid treatments. Chemosphere 71:412–418

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasulu M, Mohiddin GJ, Subramanyam K, Rangaswamy V (2012) Effect of insecticides alone and in combination with fungicides on nitrification and phosphatase activity in two groundnut (Arachis hypogeae L.) soils. Environ Geochem Health 34:365–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sukul P (2006) Enzymes activities and microbial biomass in soil as influenced by metalaxyl residues. Soil Biol Biochem 38:320–326

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tu CM (1992) Effect of some herbicides on activities of microorganisms and enzymes in soil. J Environ Sci Health B 27:695–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turki AI, Dick AW (2003) Myrosinase activity in soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 67:139–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yao X, Min H, Lu Z, Yuan H (2006) Influence of acetamiprid on soil enzymatic activities and respiration. Eur J Soil Biol 42:120–126

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, India, for financial assistance (UGC-Major Research Project Grant number F.33-209/2007 (SR).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, 515 055, Andhra Pradesh, India

    M. Srinivasulu & V. Rangaswamy

Authors
  1. M. Srinivasulu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. Rangaswamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Rangaswamy.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Srinivasulu, M., Rangaswamy, V. Influence of insecticides alone and in combination with fungicides on enzyme activities in soils. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 10, 341–350 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-012-0133-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-012-0133-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation