Research is being undertaken by several universities into the effects of glyphosate on soil biota. Concerned consumers are being told it now stays in the soil for a number of years even if applied only once.
Doing my own research into this subject I found that there is an increase of soil activity, especially an increase of fungi after an application. However there is a decrease in bacteria. The university research also says that the increase in fungi in the soil is leading to rot in a number of crop species. An interesting article and to read further on this:
Pesticide Effects on Soil Biology by Jill Clapperton from the Conservation Agriculture Alliance of Australia & New Zealand
A.S.F. Araújo, R.T.R. Monteiro & R.B. Abarkeli, 2003, Effect of glyphosate on the microbial activity of two Brazilian soils, Chemosphere 52: 799-804
(Extract from Sustainable Gardening Australia – eclippings)
I am really interested in the research going on in this field currently. It would seem that anything used in excess will create problems, and glyphosate is not the non-toxic wonder spray it was touted early on in the piece.
It’s good to get a discussion started on this topic, The potential benefits of a low toxicity herbicide are huge, and glyphosate still has its place, but I think it all depends on the scale of application.
Hello Stu
Yes I agree with you that glyphosate has not proven to be the safe herbicide previously thought. I would also wonder whether a lot of the problem is overzealous use of it as you allude. I know first-hand people who blithely think that to use it full strength must have a better effect.
The article suggests that a lot of the good bacteria present in a healthy soil is depleted through constant use of the product. I would then ask the question, ‘Would GoGo Juice replace these lost bacteria’? Just a thought.
If only we could get people to use recommended doses for products, then we wouldn’t end up with potentially good products being rated as toxic.
Alison