Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on glyphosate dissipation rate in okra cultivated sodic soil of Tamil Nadu

Aim: To elucidate the influence of non target Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on glyphosate dissipation in okra cultivated sodic soil of Tamil Nadu. Methodology: A field experiment was carried out during Rabi 2017-18 to study the interactive effect of glyphosate and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) on glyphosate dissipation in sodic soil from okra (A. esculentus) grown field. Experiment was laid adopting Randomized Block Design (RBD) with different rates of glyphosate and with and without AM fungi. Glyphosate was applied as pre-plant herbicide 20 days before sowing, and AM biofertilizer was applied as basal before sowing of okra. Soil samples were collected from the field at different time interval after glyphosate application and analysed for glyphosate and Amino Methyl Phosphonic Acid (AMPA) residues. Results: Glyphosate persistence decreased with time and degraded with the mean half-life ranging from 5.09 to 10.35 days by following first order reaction kinetics. AMPA was witnessed from day 1 and increased up to 15th day and followed first order reaction kinetics dissipation with the mean half-life of 8.62 to 13.06 days. Glyphosate and AMPA residues were recorded below detection limit (0.01 mg kg-1) on 45th and 60th days, respectively, in soil. Interpretation: The higher rates of glyphosate showed enhanced persistence of glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA in soil, hence application of AM fungi 100 kg ha-1 with lower glyphosate rate of 6 ml/L can be recommended for okra cultivated sodic soil with the safer waiting period of after 45 days harvest.