Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide with a very broad spectrum of action and is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. Although glyphosate in not intentionally applied to soil, large amounts of glyphosate reach the soil surface when glyphosate is applied to crops and therefore soil organism are the main “target” of its potential contamination. Studying the effects of glyphosate on soil organisms is therefore important because of the key role that organisms play in soil processes. Recommended doses of glyphosate range from 0,96 to 2,88 kg of glyphosate/ha for a single application, or the maximum permitted annual use is 4,32 kg of glyphosate/ha. Most research on the effects of glyphosate on soil organisms has been conducted on earthworms, followed by springtails and microorganisms. Comparing research results is quite challenging mainly due to the different glyphosate rates used in research. Earthworms were found to have high mortality rates, weight loss, anatomical changes, and lower reproduction. Glyphosate did not negatively affect reproduction or lifespan of springtails in the studies reviewed, but it did affect their mortality. It also had a negative effect on mite reproduction. The effects of glyphosate on microorganisms by simpler methods such as microbial biomass, enzyme activity and respiration rate, were generally not detected. No negative effects were found in any of these studies. The doses used in the studies where negative effects were observed are in most cases much higher than the recommended doses of glyphosate. In the future, therefore, the effects of glyphosate must be researched using recommended doses of glyphosate not only in the laboratory but also in the field experiments in order to obtain more realistic results.
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