Effects of Tebuconazole on the Earthworm Dendrobaena veneta: Full Life Cycle Approach

Marija Kovačević, Nikolina Stjepanović, Luca Zelić and Željka Lončarić ()
Additional contact information
Marija Kovačević: Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8A, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
Nikolina Stjepanović: Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8A, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
Luca Zelić: Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8A, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
Željka Lončarić: Department of Biology, University of Osijek, Cara Hadrijana 8A, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-11

Abstract: Tebuconazole (TEB), a widely used triazole fungicide, is effective against soil-borne and foliar fungal pathogens. Toxicants can exhibit varying effects depending on the life stage of organisms, although standard toxicity tests typically focus on adult individuals. This study aimed to assess TEB’s potential adverse effects on the earthworm Dendrobaena veneta throughout its life cycle. Effects were evaluated by exposing cocoons to varying TEB concentrations, monitoring hatching, newly hatched juvenile mass, and growth to adulthood. A reproduction test assessed impacts on adults, offering insights into how these results compared with cocoon exposure findings. Results revealed that TEB delayed hatching at concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg by 6, 8, and 15.5 days, respectively. Newly hatched juveniles exhibited a 15.96% (50 mg/kg) and 27.37% (100 mg/kg) reduction in body mass compared to controls, with no subsequent compensation during growth. Results from the reproduction tests showed no adverse effects on adult survival, but the effects are observed on juveniles, indicating a higher sensitivity of this developmental stage. While several adverse effects were observed, it is important to note that these occurred at concentrations exceeding recommended application rates. TEB appears safe for earthworms when used correctly, but the presence of multiple contaminants and stressors warrants consideration.

Keywords: fungicide; reproduction; hatching dynamics; growth model; non-target organisms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/11/2119/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/13/11/2119/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:11:p:2119-:d:1276502

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().