Impact of propiconazole fungicide on soil microbiome (bacterial and fungal) diversity, functional profile, and associated dehydrogenase activity

Abstract

Pesticides, protect crops but can harm the environment and human health when used without caution. This study evaluated the impact of propiconazole, a fungicide that acts on fungal cell membranes, on soil microbiome abundance, diversity, and functional profile, as well as soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA). The study conducted microcosm experiments using soil samples treated with propiconazole and employed next-generation sequencing (MiSeq) and chromatographic approaches (GC-MS/MS) to analyze the shift in microbial communities and propiconazole level, respectively. The results showed that propiconazole significantly altered the distribution of microbial communities, with notable changes in the abundance of various bacterial and fungal taxa. Among soil bacterial communities, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Planctomycetota increased, while that of Acidobacteria decreased after propiconazole treatment. In the fungal communities, propiconazole increased the abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota in the treated soil, while that of Mortierellomycota was reduced. Fungicide application further triggered a significant decrease in DHA over time. Analysis of the functional profile of bacterial communities showed that propiconazole significantly affected bacterial cellular and metabolic pathways. The carbon degradation pathway was upregulated, indicating the microbial detoxification of the contaminant in the treated soil. Our findings suggest that propiconazole application has a discernible impact on soil microbial communities, which could have long-term consequences for soil health, quality, and function.

Keywords: Bacterial community; DHA; Environment; Fungal community; Pesticides; Propiconazole.