1 research outputs found
Differential Sensitivity of Nitrogen-Fixing, Azolla Microphylla to Organochlorine and Organophosphate Insecticide
The development of the intensive agriculture in our country between
1960 and 1990 totally over passed the aspect connected with the
negative impact of the toxic chemical compounds on the air, water and
soil. Using chemical products as nutrients, fertilizers and pesticides,
we believe that we attack our safety and we must know the effects of
pesticides from these compounds. Application of pesticides in the paddy
fields has deleterious effects on non-target organisms including Azolla
which are photosynthesizing and nitrogen fixing micro-organisms
contributing significantly towards soil fertility and crop yield.
Pesticide contamination in the paddy fields has manifested into a
serious global environmental concern. Present study was aimed to study
the comparative effect of two such pesticides, a well-known species of
Azolla, Azolla Microphylla were selected for their stress responses
to an Organochlorine insecticide - Endosulfan, and Organophosphate
insecticide-Monocrotophos with reference to their growth, Free
radicals, Antioxidant enzymes and metabolites. Azolla microphylla
strains were adversely affected by the insecticide doses and inhibition
was dose dependent. But the highest decrease was seen in case of
organochlorine insecticides. Pesticide treatment with increasing doses
accelerated the formation of reactive oxgen species progressively,
whereby an enhanced Antioxidant enzymes and metabolites were noticed in
A. microphylla. On the other hand, increased amount of proline in all
the insecticide treated concentrations was indicative of stressed
activities of the organisms. In this work the effect of the
insecticides on Azolla microphylla resulted in growth inhibition, a
decline of physiological and biochemical activities but the highest
effect was shown in case of organochlorine insecticide which is
commonly used in the rice fields. © JASE