Effects of atrazine and butachlor on growth of mung bean (Vigna radiata), Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and soil bacteria

Abstract

Atrazine and butachlor are herbicides extensively applied to control weeds. In this study, the effects of these compounds on the growth of mung bean, water spinach and soil bacteria were determined. The results showed that all offsets of mung bean and water spinach were killed after amendment with atrazine. However, the effects of butachlor on both plants in the dry season were unapparent, while this compound used at 2.0× (4.0 L/ha) severely reduced the growth of the plants in the rainy season. For example, the length of beanstalks, and weight of beanstalks and roots of mung bean grown in the rainy season at 2.0× butachlor were lower by 36.2% and 44.3% compared to the control, respectively. Moreover, the application of butachlor decreased the yield of mung bean. In addition, both atrazine and butachlor inhibited the growth of soil bacteria even after two months. This study showed that these herbicides are highly toxic to mung bean, water spinach, and soil bacteria.