Toxicity of pesticides to earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) and effect on thatch degradation in Kentucky bluegrass turf

D. A. Potter, M. C. Buxton, C. T. Redmond, C. G. Patterson, A. J. Powell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

68 Scopus citations

Abstract

The comparative toxicity of 17 commonly used turfgrass pesticides and recovery of earthworm populations following exposure were studied for 2 yr in Poa pratensis turf. A single application of the fungicide benomyl or the insecticides ethoprop, carbaryl, or bendiocarb at labeled rates reduced earthworm populations by 60-99%, with significant effects lasting for at least 20 wk. These compounds also significantly reduced the rate at which earthworms incorporated mineral soil into buried pieces of thatch. None of the herbicides tested significantly affected earthworm populations. Abundance of Cryptostigmata, Collembola, and ants also was drastically reduced by some treatments. -from Authors

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2362-2369
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Economic Entomology
Volume83
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 1990

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology
  • Insect Science

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