Foliar Dicamba Application Has No Lasting Effects on Microbial Activities in the Soybean Rhizosphere

摘要

The proliferation of glyphosate-resistant weeds has resulted in significant losses in the productivity of crops such as corn, soybean, and cotton. As a result, new crop varieties with resistance genes from other herbicides, such as 2,4-D and dicamba, have been developed as part of alternative weed control cropping systems. However, little is known about how the application of these herbicides impacts the microorganisms that carry out nutrient cycling in the soil of these cropping systems, particularly in the rhizosphere, the soil compartment immediately adjacent to the root system which is pivotal to plant nutrient uptake. The purpose of the current study was to assess the effects of dicamba on soil enzyme activities linked to C, N, and P cycling in the rhizosphere of resistant soybean plants. While dicamba had no significant effects on the ac tivities of enzymes linked to C or P cycling in the rhizosphere, N-acetylglucosaminidase activity was temporarily inhibited, but recovered by three days after application. These results suggest there are no long-lasting negative effects of dicamba in the rhizosphere of treated plants when applied at field rates.