The effect of simazine on nitrification and the decomposition of simazine by soil microorganisms

The herbicide simazine (2-chloro-4,6-bis(ethylamino)- 1,3,5-triazine) was found to have an inhibitory effect on nitrification in pure and mixed cultures of the nitrifying bacteria. Simazine concentrations of 6 and 9ppm inhibited the rate of nitrification in soil perfusion units, and an abnormally high level of nitrite nitrogen was observed in the herbicide treatments. The herbicide had no effect on the growth of Nitrosomonas europaea in shake flask culture, but did inhibit the growth of Nitrobacter agilis. The addition of yeast extract to the culture medium did not reverse the inhibition. Simazine did not inhibit the respiration of N. agilis even at a 100ppm concentration. Five organisms were isolated which could utilize simazine as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Pure cultures of these organisms were made and several were identified.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Bacteriology

Department dc:contributor.department

Bacteriology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute

Year dc:date.issued

1965

Author dc:creator

• Farmer, Franklin Harris

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/74595

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/74595