The Influence of Commercial Yeast Preparations on the Degradation of Herbicide Mixtures in the Soil and the Effect on the Shell Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Cultivation

Today, increasingly more attention is paid to the use of biological preparations that have an advantageous effect on the soil condition and boost plant health. The study analyzes the influence of three agrochemical preparations containing three different yeast species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yarrowia lipolytica, and Debaryomyces hansenii, on the degradation of a herbicide mixture in the soil. The second aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of yeast preparations on the shell pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivated on a soil contaminated with a herbicide mixture. Experiments were performed in controlled laboratory conditions. The parameters analyzed in the soil samples included the pH, the oxidation–reduction potential, humidity, the dehydrogenase activity of microorganisms (DHA), and pesticide residues. In the second experiment, the analyses focused on germination of shell pea seeds, plant growth, chlorophyll and carotenoid content, and pesticide residues in plants. All yeast preparations enhanced the degradation of fluazifop-P-butyl. The preparation with Y. lipolytica had the greatest impact on the herbicides degradation, even on the one as stable as pendimethalin. Maximum degradation rates were 71.2% for fluazifop-P-butyl, 13.4% for propyzamide, 20% for metribuzin, and 5.3% for pendimethalin. No statistically important values were provided for clomazone. Additionally, the preparation with Y. lipolytica promoted the growth of shell pea (22%, versus the control), while the preparation with D. hansenii increased the seed germination capacity by 30%. Biological preparations containing yeasts can be a good means to reduce soil contamination by pesticides, to improve the health and quality of plants, and to enhance the safety of environment.