Effect of a triazole fungicide on the cellulose decomposition by the soil microflora

The effect of flutriafol on the cellulose decomposition was studied in the laboratory as a dose-response experiment using a trade marked formulation. Cellulose degradation rates were determined by the weight loss from cellulose filter disks buried in soil samples and by the CO2 evolved during batch incubation experiments. To amounts recommended for field applications and ten-fold these dosages, flutriafol did not affect the cellulose decomposition ability of the soil microflora. Highest dosages provoked an initial inhibitory effect, followed by a stimulation in cellulolytic activity. Possible reasons for the dose-response relationship were changes in the soil microflora in favour of bacteria, indicating the importance of the persistence and repeated applications of flutriafol. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.