Study the Effect of Herbicide Imazethapyr Application in Established Alfalfa Farms on Non-Target Creatures (Case Study: Ladybug Population)

This study evaluated the effect of different doses of the herbicide Imazethapyr on the population of soil faunanon-target organisms. This experiment was carried out on weed-infested established alfalfa farms. The experimentwas conducted during spring and summer from 2014–2015 in a randomized complete block design with eighttreatments, of which non-weed-infested established alfalfa field was a control and, four replications. The resultsshowed that increased application of Imazethapyr has affected lady beetle population, especially until one week afterspraying severe losses were observed with high doses of Imazethapyr; therefore, it is important not to exceed therecommended, standard dose. This shows the significance of the use of herbicides and suggests that the arthropods,as an indicator of EIQ, will suffer losses at higher doses. As soon as herbicide is applied to its target, a number ofprocesses immediately begin to remove the compound from the original site of application. This removal is theprocess of environmental fate. For the herbicide which is intercepted by plants, the chemical may be taken up by theplant itself, may be washed off of the foliage by precipitation or irrigation onto the soil, may undergophotodegradation on plant surfaces, or may volatilize back into the air. Besides that, all living organisms in the soilwill be affected by the herbicide. Most herbicides are organic compounds and are therefore basically unstable in theenvironment. Inherent instability is essential to prevent these materials from accumulating in the environment ascompounds are repeatedly used. Unfortunately, not all herbicides exhibit optimal stability properties, and thereforenumerous examples of insufficient control (too little stability) or carryover (too much stability) have been reported.Furthermore, persistence in the environment prolongs exposure of the materials to forces that can cause movementof the herbicide away from the application site.

کلیدواژه ها:

Imazethapyr herbicide ، reduced/increased doses ، alfalfa ، lady beetles