Effect of pesticide application rate on yield of vegetables and soil microbial communities

Abstract

Lindane is listed among the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) pesticides, and agricultural uses of lindane have been banned in 52 countries due to its hazardous nature. However, lindane is still widely used in vegetable cultivation in Ghana. The effect of increasing rates of application of lindane (156.0, 244.0 and 312.0 g ha-1), unden (propoxur) (125.0, 187.5 and 250.0 g ha-1), dithane and karate (166.6, 209.8 and 333.3 g ha-1) on garden eggs, okro and tomatoes was studied to find out if it has any advantage that makes its use attractive to farmers despite its ban. Yields of garden eggs were suppressed by all the rates of lindane applied. In tomatoes, lower rates of lindane increased yields whereas the higher rates suppressed yields lower than the control. In okro yields were higher than the control at all levels of lindane applied though yield increments were low. Unden application had the highest effect on garden egg yields followed by tomatoes and least on okro. In the garden egg and tomato treatments, increasing concentration of unden resulted in decreasing yields though yields were higher on the control plots. The optimum unden rate for garden egg and tomato was U20 (i.e. 125.0 g ha-1). Increasing rates of unden on okro did not have any significant effect. Pesticide application had a higher effect on fungal population (50-70% reduction) than on bacterial population in the soil (23.0–38.4% reduction). Dithane suppressed bacteria most whereas karate suppressed fungal population most. Lower levels of chloride residues in tomato fruits corresponded to lower rates of lindane application. Lindane did not have any advantage over the other pesticides as it caused the least increase in yield. It is recommend that farmers are educated on the adverse effects of lindane use, and government enforces the restriction on lindane importation and use in agriculture.