Abstract: An incubation study was conducted to investigate the effects of metsulfuron-methyl herbicide on the soil microbial biomass in loamy sand soil. The herbicide was applied to the soil at four concentrations: control, 0.01, 0.10, and 1.00 μg.g^-1 soil. Determinations of microbial biomass-C and microbial biomass-N contents were carried out 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, 25, and 45 days after herbicide application. In comparison to untreated soil, the microbial biomass-C and biomass-N decreased significantly in soils treated with herbicide at concentrations of 0.1 and 1.0 μg.g^-1 soil within the first 7 days of incubation. The application of metsulfuron-methyl herbicide to the soil reduced the C_mic/C_org and N_mic/N_total percentages, which decreased with increasing application rate of metsulfuron-methyl herbicide. Compared to the untreated control, a marked increase in the microbial biomass C: N ratio was observed in the herbicide treated soil. This effect was transitory and was significant only at the higher rates of metsulfuron-methyl.

Key words: metsulfuron-methyl, microbial biomass C, microbial biomass N, C_mic/C_org ratio, N_mic/N_total ratio, C_mic/N_mic ratio

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