Identifying the Microbial Mechanisms responsible for Accelerated Degradation

Introduction • Following the repeated application of some pesticides to soil, their rate of dissipation has been shown to increase • This phenomenon is termed accelerated degradation (AD) and microorganisms are often implicated • AD has implications for the fate of pesticides in the environment Aims 1. To determine if AD can occur at agriculturally relevant levels in pesticide naive soils 2. Explore the microbial mechanisms that may be responsible for the phenomena; 2a. Increase in microbial activity 2b. Changes in the structure of the bacterial community 2c. Capacity for atrazine degradation