Toxic interaction of glyphosate herbicide and tau-fluvalinate insecticide on pheasant embryos

In this study, we investigated the individual and combined toxic effects of a glyphosate-containing herbicide (Amega Up) and a tau-fluvalinate-containing insecticide (Mavrik 24 EW) on pheasant embryos, after immersion treatment of eggs. The emulsions of Amega Up with a concentration of 4.0% (360 g/l glyphosate) and Mavrik 24 EW (240 g/l tauf luvalinate) with a concentration of 0.05% were used as test materials. The immersion treatment was performed on the first day of incubation, and the pheasant eggs were processed on day 21 of incubation. During the necropsy, the following parameters were recorded: body weight, the beak-hoof range, embryonic mortality and type and frequency of macroscopic developmental abnormalities. In the group treated with 4.0% Amega Up emulsion, the body weight values were lower and the beak-hoof range was shorter. The changes were significantly different as compared to the control. As a result of Mavrik 24 EW treatment, embryonic body weight and beak-hoof range decreased and embryonic mortality increased, however, the differences were not significant. During the study of the combined toxic effect with the test materials, a significant decrease in embryonic body weight and a statistically justified decrease also in the beak-hoof range were observed compared to the control group. The frequency of macroscopic developmental malformations increased to a statistically justified extent. The combined administration of the test materials increased the embryotoxicity compared to the individual toxicity tests which was presumably manifested as an additive toxic interaction.