Comparative analysis of cytotoxic effects induced by biopesticides and synthetic pesticides using onion meristematic cell assay

Abstract

The present study involves comparative cytotoxicity of four biopesticides (Trichoderma viride; Pseudomonas flourescences; Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisophilae) and two synthetic pesticides (Malathion and Mancozeb) employing chromosomal aberration assay in root tip cells of onion using in situ and root dip modes of treatments for 24hrs and 48 hrs. The squash preparations from root tip cells of treated onion bulbs revealed different types of chromosomal aberrations which were apportioned into physiological aberrations (c-mitosis, delayed anaphases, stickiness, laggards and vagrants) and clastogenic aberrations (chromosomal breaks, chromatin bridge and ring chromosomes). Highest mitotic index was observed in Metarhizium anisophilae for 24hrs and in Malathion at exposure time 48hrs. Among all Mancozeb has maximum number of aberrations, whereas minimum number of aberrations was found in Trichoderma viride for 24hrs. While just opposite was observed for exposure time 48hrs maximum no of aberrations was observed in Trichoderma viride whereas minimum aberrations were observed in Mancozeb.