In sugarcane fields of Pakistan it is a common practice to flood Chlorpyriphos at higher doses to control damage of rats. What effects this treatment can have to the natural control of pests by effecting soil organisms.
Please share your thoughts and recommend any reading
Article Biomarkers for the assessment of chlorpyrifos effects on ear...
It may disrupt whole soil ecology. Harmful effects is definite on soil microfauna, earthworms and ultimately on nutrition uptake of plants.
Check PMRA (PACR2003-03) Phase 2 of the Re-evaluation of Chlorpyrifos but the final assessment is due March 2018.
I was part of a team that examined the effects of chlorpyrifos on earthworm behaviour and performance almost 20 years ago (!). Negative effects were quite easily demonstrated in laboratory bioassays, but less obvious under a field setting.
We produced a number of papers describing our results, e.g.
Booth, L. H., Hodge, S. and O'Halloran, K. (2000), USE of cholinesterase in aporrectodea caliginosa (Oligochaeta; Lumbricidae) to detect organophosphate contamination: Comparison of laboratory tests, mesocosms, and field studies. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 19: 417–422. doi:10.1002/etc.5620190222
Booth, L., Hodge, S. & O'Halloran, K. Use of biomarkers in earthworms to detect use and abuse of field applications of a model organophosphate pesticide. Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. (2001) 67: 633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001280171
Hodge, Webster, Booth, Hepplethwaite, O'Halloran. 2000. Nonavoidance of organophosphate insecticides by the earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa (Lumbricidae). Soil Biology and Biochemistry 32(3):425-428
We also carried out a similar trials to examine the effects of organophosphates on beneficial predatory invertebrates such as lacewings, and wolf spiders. These papers can be found in the contributions section of my profile.
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