Effects of fungicides on microbial activities in sandy soil

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Abstract
The effect of 15 fungicides on ammonification, nitrification, denitrification and sulphur oxidation in a loamy sand was investigated under laboratory conditions. The 15 fungicides had only a minor effect on the ammonification of organic nitrogen indigenous to the soil. Nitrification was depressed with all fungicides after 2 weeks, while lesser effects of fungicides on nitrification in many samples after 3 weeks indicated either that the fungicides underwent transformation and detoxification in soil or that the nitrifiers had adapted to the fungicides. Nitrous oxide (N2O) evolution from the soil anaerobic assay system indicated that all fungicides were non‐toxic to denitrifying micro‐organisms. Sulphur oxidation was increased with treatments of dodine, chlorothalonil, folpet, thiram and captan. The study indicated that the fungicides had no permanent deleterious effects on soil ammonification, nitrification, denitrification and sulphur oxidation, which are important to soil fertility.