IMPACT OF MANCOZEB ON BENEFICIAL SOIL MICROORGANISMS

Abstract

The use of fungal and bacterial microorganisms in agricultural production has expanded significantly, driven by growing demand for higher productivity combined with sustainability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of fungi, bacteria, and bacillus widely used in agriculture, considering different application doses of the active ingredient Manganese ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (polymeric) complex with zinc salt (MANCOZEBE), including applications on plants. The trial was conducted at the University Research Biocenter in the municipality of Bandeirantes-PR, under controlled conditions in a greenhouse, using pots with a capacity of 2.5 L and dimensions of 19 × 14 cm. The treatments were organized in a completely randomized design (CRD), with 46 treatments and three replicates, totaling 138 experimental units (pots). Each pot was sown with four seeds of the experimental soybean cultivar DM 66I68. The fungi, bacteria, and bacillus used in the treatments were applied when the crop reached the V4 stage of development. The microorganisms were subjected to three different experimental conditions: (SM) no application of Mancozebe, (MP3) application of Mancozebe to the plant at 3 kg ha^-1, and (MP6) application of Mancozebe to the plant at 6 kg ha^-1, performed five days after inoculation of the microorganisms. Five days after applying Mancozebe, soil samples weighing approximately 200 g were collected and sent to the laboratory to quantify the concentration of microorganisms in the soil. The determination was performed by counting colony-forming units (CFU), expressed in CFU g⁻¹ of soil.