The Effects of Glyphosate and 2,4-D Herbicides on Viability of Eisenia Foetida Earthworms

The study aimed to examine the effects of glyphosate and 2,4-D herbicides on the reproduction of in-vitro eisenia foetida earthworms. This species was chosen because of its easy in-vitro reproduction. The experiment followed a randomized complete block design with four replications. The study included a control treatment, a factory recommended dose treatment (1.5 L/ha 2,4-D, 5 L/ha glyphosate), two overdose treatments (2.25 L/ha 2,4-D, 7.5 L/ha glyphosate), and two underdose treatments (.75 L/ha 2,4-D, 2.5 L/ha glyphosate). The herbicide treatments caused weight loss in eisenia foetida earthworms. Higher doses of each herbicide resulted in more weight loss. The weight loss effect of the herbicides degraded with time. This was observed for both herbicides in all treatments. After the fifth week, there was a significant difference between the control and the experimental groups. However, there was no significant difference between the experimental groups themselves, which can be related to herbicide degradation. The 2,4-D treatment caused more weight loss compared to the glyphosate treatment because it is a more toxic herbicide. Preliminary analysis indicated that behavioral tests could be used to quickly examine polluted soils. They can also be used as confirmatory analysis to assess the extent of the pollution.

Keywords:

Herbicides , Earthworms , Viability