The effect (commercial formulation) of malathion on cellulase, protease, urease. and phosphatase activities was investigated in a laterite type tropical soil in laboratory condition. Although there was an initial depression, the cellulase activity showed a recovery tendency around 21 st day of incubation. The protease activity also declined but the soil samples treated with low dose of malathion exhibited a tendency of recovery towards the end of 21st day. There observed a marked suppression of urease and phosphatase activities in malathion treated soil samples.