Degradation of metolachlor in soil inoculated with a mixed fungal culture

The effect of a mixed fungal culture on the degradation of the herbicide metolachlor in soil was evaluated. Metolachlor was found to degrade up to 92% and 87% after 20 days in sterile and nonsterile soils respectively, when inoculated with a mixed culture of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus terricola and treated with 20 g g^–1 metolachlor. When the soil was treated at 50 g g^–1 level, 84% of the added herbicide degraded in inoculated sterile soil and 80% in nonsterile soil. The half-lives of metolachlor were found to be 5 and 4 times faster at the 20 and 50 g g^–1 levels, respectively, in the presence of the mixed fungal culture. In treated soils, four metabolites could be identified by RP-HPLC.