Impact of agricultural toxins on biomass and abundance of earthworms

The use of chemicals can affect soil organisms. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of two types of agricultural toxins (Treflan herbicide and Abamectin insecticide) on the number and biomass of earthworms in fruit orchards of Esfahan province.The experiment was conducted in three orchards with different management. In control orchard, no pesticide or herbicide were used. In the second orchard, only Treflan herbicide was used at concentration of 0.002 and in the third orchard, Treflan together with Abamectin insecticide (0.001) were applied. Earthworms were sampled by hand, identified and weighed.The results showed that all three ecological groups of earthworms were observed in the control orchard after three months. Meanwhile, the abundance and live weight of L. rubellus worms were more than E. fetida. Comparison of mean number and live weight of worms showed that all three orchards had significant differences with each other.The results showed the severe effects of toxins on earthworms. The risk of earthworms poisoning depends not only on the toxicity of chemical toxins, but also on how they are exposed to the toxins. The effect of chemical pesticides on earthworms also depends on the age of these organisms. Juvenile worms are more sensitive to chemical toxins than adult worms because immature worms are slow to move and will not be able to dig deeper corridors.

کلیدواژه ها:

Earthworms ، Agricultural toxin ، Biomass ، abundance