Metsulfuron-methyl Effects on Soil Microbiome Data

Metsulfuron-methyl is an herbicide approved for use in Alaska. The policies regulating its use have been developed in more temperate climates, and until our experiment investigating its half-life (4.1 and 5.1 days in Palmer and Delta Junction, respectively. ), there was no information available regarding its degradation rate in subarctic Alaskan soil. In Alaska, during the colder months, microbial degradation essentially stops. This could lead to an increase in herbicide carryover into the next growing season. Investigating the effect of MSM addition on the microbial community in Alaskan soil will help provide insight into possible biodegradation. In this project, the effect of MSM addition on the microbial diversity of Alaskan soil samples will be analyzed though an incubation experiment and sequencing analysis. The aim of this study is to sequence 16s rDNA in order to identify and compare microbial species present in metsulfuron-methyl treated and untreated soils.