Slow release of attapulgite based nano-enabled glyphosate improves soil phosphatase activity, organic P-pool and proliferation of dominant bacterial community

Glyphosate (Glp) was encapsulated onto the dopamine-modified attapulgite to develop an attapulgite-based nano-enabled Glp (DGlp) in this study with comparable weed control effects to pure Glp and commercial Glp solutions. Within 24 hours, the active Glp molecule was slowly released from DGlp at a maximum remaining rate of over 90%, and then degraded similarly to Glp solution in soil. The addition of DGlp improved soil available phosphorus (P) contents, phosphatase activity, and enzyme extractable P fraction. However, compared to Glp solution, DGlp addition had no effect on the transformation of soil inorganic P fractions. The 16S rRNA sequencing and co-occurrence network results revealed that DGlp had no significant effect on the soil bacterial diversity but diminished the complexity of soil bacterial network. According to the Mantel test, DGlp addition stimulated soil phosphatase activity and proliferation of dominant bacterial taxa (Proteobacteria and Firmicutes) capable of degrading Glp. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes that had been extensively recruited and enriched for their phosphatase activities may have mobilized reactive enzyme-P, significantly enhancing the transformation of reactive organic P and P-pool in soil. These results contributed to our understanding of the ecotoxicity and environmental impacts of nano-enabled Glp prior to its successful and sustainable application in agriculture. [Display omitted] •Attapulgite based nano-enabled glyphosate (DGlp) exhibited glyphosate slow release and weed control effect.•DGlp increased soil available phosphorus, phosphatase activity and enzyme extractable phosphorus fraction.•DGlp reduced the complexity of soil bacterial networks.•DGlp stimulated the proliferation of glyphosate degrading bacteria and enhanced soil organic P transformation.