Comprehensive study of the effects of strobilurin-based fungicide formulations on Enchytraeus albidus

Excessive application of fungicides in crop fields can cause adverse effects on soil organisms and consequently affect soil properties. Existing knowledge on the effects of strobilurin fungicides has been primarily based on toxicity tests with active ingredients, while the effects of fungicide formulations remain unclear. Therefore, this work aims to provide new data on the effects of three commercial formulations of strobilurin fungicides on the soil organism Enchytraeus albidus . The tested fungicide formulations were Retengo® (pyraclostrobin—PYR), Zato WG 50® (trifloxystrobin—TRI) and Stroby WG® (kresoxim-methyl—KM). In laboratory experiments, multiple endpoints were considered at different time points. The results showed that PYR had the greatest impact on survival and reproduction (LC 50 = 7.57 mg a.i. kg soil −1 , EC 50 = 0.98 mg a.i. kg soil −1 ), followed by TRI (LC 50 = 72.98 mg a.i. kg soil −1 , EC 50 = 16.93 mg a.i. kg soil −1 ) and KM (LC 50 = 73.12 mg a.i. kg soil −1 , EC 50 ≥ 30 mg a.i. kg soil −1 ). After 7 days of exposure, MXR activity was inhibited at the highest concentration of all fungicides tested (6 mg PYR kg soil −1 , 15 mg TRI kg soil −1 and 30 mg KM kg soil −1 ). Furthermore, oxidative stress (induction of SOD, CAT and GST) and lipid peroxidation (increase in MDA) were also observed. In addition, there was a decrease in total available energy after exposure to PYR and KM. Exposure to fungicides resulted in a shift in the proportions of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins affecting the amount of available energy. In addition to the initial findings on the effects of strobilurin formulations on enchytraeids, the observed results suggest that multiple and long-term exposure to strobilurin formulations in the field could have negative consequences on enchytraeid populations. Graphical abstract