• Malojirao Bhosale
• Satish Mokashe

Earthworms, called as “nature’s ploughman” or “friend of farmers”, form major soil macro-fauna. They perform variety of essential ecological function like decomposition of organic matter, nutrient recycling, increasing the porosity, aeration and water holding capacity etc. To meet the nutrient requirement of expanding population, there is an extensive utilization of agrochemicals like pesticides and inorganic fertilisers. Unregulated and overdose of these agrochemicals affect beneficial soil fauna like earthworms. Two pesticides, chlorpyrifos and glyphosate, were studied with respect to their impact on integument of compost worm, Eisenia foetida. Exposure of Eisenia foetida to these pesticides significantly altered the integument rendering the earthworms susceptible to weight loss and detrimental behavioural alterations.

Eisenia foetida, chlorpyrifos, glyphosate, integument

"PESTICIDES AS A CURSE TO NON-TARGET SOIL MACROFAUNA: AN EXAMPLE OF HISTOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS IN EARTHWORM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no.578-582, December-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812383.pdf

"PESTICIDES AS A CURSE TO NON-TARGET SOIL MACROFAUNA: AN EXAMPLE OF HISTOLOGICAL ALTERATIONS IN EARTHWORM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 12, page no. pp578-582, December-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1812383.pdf