Structural and Functional Characteristics of the Prokaryotic Community of Soddy-Podzolic Soil Influenced by the Herbicide Glyphosate

Abstract

The amount of chemicals used for plant protection is growing due to the intensification of agriculture. Glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides; consequently, its influence on the microbial communities of agricultural soils is of interest. Structural and functional changes in the prokaryotic community in soddy-podzolic soil related to glyphosate treatment have been studied. No influence of the herbicide on the total number of prokaryotes or on the indices of substrate utilization intensity by the soil microbial community was observed. An increase in CO₂ emissions was a short-term effect of glyphosate application. The numbers of metabolically active Archaea and Acidobacteria decreased, while the number of metabolically active Actinobacteria increased after long-term exposure of the soil to glyphosate.