Pest Management Science Pest Manag Sci 61:827–828 (2005)DOI: 10.1002/ps.1104

IntroductionPesticides, microbial functions and biodiversity in soil

Pesticide microbiology is a multidisciplinary science with virtually no boundaries.Commencing in the early 1970s, scientists started to meet to further theirunderstanding of pesticide effects on non-target soil microorganisms. It soonbecame apparent that, before the effects of any pesticide could be established,reliable methods for identification of soil organisms and their functionswere needed. There have since been exciting and creative developments ofthese methods, ranging from sophisticated colorimetric quantification to theethylene/acetylene reduction assay for nitrogen fixation. The new methodologiesfor DNA extraction and quantification combined with PCR bring new insightsas to whether an organism is alive, dormant or dead. In general, the methods canreadily be demonstrated to work with pure solutions or pure cultures. However,whenever soil is introduced into the system, it always seems to make thingscomplicated. Finding acceptable methodologies for use in soil will thereforealways present a challenge. During the last 30 years, pesticide microbiologists haveoften found themselves at the cutting edge of fundamental scientific developmentand understanding before being able to conduct scientifically valid experiments.

During 1973–1977, four symposia were jointly organized by Biologische Bun-desanstalt and the Bundesforschungsanstalt fur Landwirtschaft, Braunschweig,Germany. These were extended internationally with a workshop in 1978 inBraunschweig, followed by a second workshop in England in 1979. The aimsof the meetings were to discuss the means to test side-effects of pesticides onthe soil microflora and to agree on recommendations for tests suitable for use inregulatory requirements.

The tests were published1 and consequently some recommendations, such asthose on soil respiration and nitrogen transformations, were adopted by regulatoryauthorities. A further workshop was held in 1985 to consider the experience ofusing the studies and to make any necessary revisions. This progressed to thetests being incorporated into formal guidelines of ISO, OECD, FAO, DIN, EU,EPPO and BBA. Included in these guidelines were methodologies for the propertreatment of microbially active soils to ensure valid experimental results.

Pesticide microbiology has now matured into a unique discipline in whichagronomists (whose main concern is efficacy of chemicals against targetorganisms), soil scientists (interested in chemical movement and degradation,including microbially mediated transformations), microbiologists (individualmicroorganisms and communities and their interaction, including enhancedmicrobial transformations), ecotoxicologists (a range of soil organisms includingearthworms) and biotechnologists (manipulation of organisms) come together tofurther our scientific understanding.

With the expansion of the interest in pesticide microbiology, the PesticideMicrobiology Group became truly international in 1992 with the First Inter-national Symposium on the ‘Environmental Aspects of Pesticide Microbiology’(Sigtuna, Sweden), followed by the second meeting in 1996 in Beaune, France,‘Pesticides Soil Microbiology and Soil Quality’, and the third meeting, ‘Pesti-cides, Soil Microbiology and Sustainable Agriculture’, in Monheim, Germany,in 2000. Four years later, interest continues to be high and the 4th InternationalSymposium on Environmental Aspects of Pesticide Microbiology with the title‘Pesticides, Microbial Functions and Biodiversity in Soils’ was held in 2004 at theAristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. In the midst of the strong historicaland cultural centre of learning developed by the ancient Greeks, we learnt thatthey had held symposia and used the word to describe their discussions.

The organizing committee (Euphemia Papadopoulou-Mourkidou, Thessa-loniki, Greece; Dimitrios G Karpouzas, Piacenza, Italy; John PE Anderson,Langenfeld, Germany; Chris R Leake, Monheim, Germany; John Stenstrom,

2005 Society of Chemical Industry. Pest Manag Sci 1526–498X/2005/$30.00 827

Introduction

Uppsala, Sweden; Udo Pluecken, Basel, Switzerland; Guy Soulas, Bordeaux,France; Antonio Rodriguez Franco, Cordoba, Spain) were delighted with theresponse from scientists from research institutes, industry and regulators. Thequality of the presentations had improved substantially since the First Interna-tional Symposium and the quality of the scientific discussion was excellent. Weare truly an international group with a strong scientific basis. The new chair-person of the group is Euphemia Papadopoulou-Mourkidou from the AristotleUniversity of Thessaloniki.

I would like to thank the organisers and participants for making the symposiumso successful and enjoyable, and we are pleased that the journal Pest ManagementScience has agreed to publish a number of the presented papers. Soil pesticidemicrobiology has come a long way in 30 years and I am sure that the future holdssignificant advances—there is much still to be discovered!

REFERENCE1 Greaves MP, Poole NJ, Domsch KH, Jagnow G and Verstrate W, Recommended tests for

assessing the side-effects of pesticides on the soil microflora. Technical Report 59, AgriculturalResearch Council, Weed Research Organisation, Begbroke Hill, Yarnton, Oxford OX5 1PF,UK; ISBN 07084 0161 9 (1980).

Chris Leake(Pesticide Microbiology Group)

Bayer CropScienceD-40789 Monheim/Rhein

Germany

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