The effects of different rates of glyphosate on non-target invertebrates in field margins.

Abstract

The effects of three rates of glyphosate (360g, 720g, 1440g a.i. ha^-1) on the non-target invertebrate fauna of a field margin were investigated. Total abundance of invertebrates and abundance of spiders, carabid beetles, Heteroptera and Auchenorrhyncha were significantly reduced in sprayed treatments compared with the unsprayed treatments. Differences in percentage reduction of invertebrates between glyphosate treatments varied. Auchenorrhyncha and Carabidae appeared to be more sensitive to all levels of glyphosate than the Heteroptera and spiders: despite reductions in abundance with higher rates of glyphosate, differences in abundance for the Auchenorrhyncha and Carabidae were not significant between treatments. A significant negative relationship between abundance of all groups of invertebrate and rate of glyphosate was detected.