The Effect of BioTox Pesticide on the Root Growth of Onion (Allium cepa L.

)1
Hana Jasmine O. John

ABSTRACT

The effect of BioTox pesticide on the growth of a plant was

determined using the Allium test. Five onion bulbs were placed in
beakers containing BioTox while another five were placed in
beakers with distilled water (control). The former had a higher
mean number of roots per bulb (5.4) and a higher mean root length
per bulb (2.4 cm). Thus, BioTox inhibits the formation and
elongation of onion roots.

INTRODUCTION
A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used for preventing, controlling, or
lessening the damage caused by a pest. A pesticide may be a chemical substance, biological
agent (such as a virus or bacteria), antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest.
Pests include insects, plant pathogens, weeds, mollusks, birds, mammals, fish, nematodes and
microbes that compete with humans for food, destroy property, spread or are a vector for
disease or cause a nuisance (Ware and Whitacre 2004). Although there are benefits to the use
of pesticides, there are also drawbacks, such as potential toxicity to humans and other
organisms.
According to Levine (2007), pesticide use raises a number of environmental concerns.
Over 98% of sprayed insecticides and 95% of herbicides reach a destination other than their
target species, including non-target species, air, water, bottom sediments, and food. Pesticides
are one of the causes of water pollution, and some pesticides are persistent organic pollutants
and contribute to soil contamination.
The effect of such potentially harmful pollutants can be studied using living organisms
grown under controlled treatments. The Allium test is such an assay. It involves subjecting a
model organism, the common onion (A. cepa L.), to solutions being investigated for toxicity.
Aside from its availability, the onion is a good experimental material for this because its roots
develop quickly and their number and length after a short period of five days measures the
effect of the potential pollutant on a common aspect of plant growth (Vodopich and Moore
2002).
In the Philippines, BioTox is an increasingly popular brand of pesticide used to control
common insect pests such as leafhoppers and plant hoppers that infect rice plants. Like other
pesticides, although they were originally intended for good use, BioTox could be a potential
pollutant as excess amounts could be washed off to non-farm lands and pose harmful effects
on other living organisms. In fact, there have been reports of high concentrations of this
chemical in Masaya Lake which is surrounded by rice fields in the province of Batangas. This is
suspected to have contributed to the death of various species of aquatic plants that serve as
food for freshwater fishes in the lake. Thus, it is necessary to gain insight on the effect of this
pollutant on the growth of organisms.

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 This study aimed to determine the effect of BioTox pesticide on plant growth via the
Allium test. The specific objectives were
1. to describe the effect of BioTox on the number and length of roots formed by onion
bulbs; and
2. to explain the possible mechanisms behind the observed effect of BioTox on plant
growth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In evaluating the toxicity of BioTox, the Allium Test was used. Ten onion bulbs were
obtained and cleaned by removing the outer, loose layers of each bulb. A razor blade was used
to trim exposed tissue from the root crown. Ten 100 mL beakers were also prepared. Five
beakers corresponding to five replicates of the control set-up were filled with approximately 80
mL of distilled water. The remaining five beakers were filled with the same volume of BioTox
pesticide. One onion bulb was then placed into each beaker such that the root crown was
completely submerged into the test solution, as shown in Figure 1. All ten set-ups were then
incubated in the dark at room temperature for five days. The solution levels in each beaker
were checked periodically and supplemented if needed.
After five days, the number of roots for each bulb was counted. Mean root length was
computed by measuring the length of all the roots for each bulb and then dividing it by the
number of roots on each bulb. A graph comparing the number and length of roots on treated
bulbs with those of controls was then plotted and analyzed.

Onion bulb
Beaker with
Root crown test solution

Figure 1. Allium test set-up.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

As seen in Table 1, results showed that the onion bulbs treated with BioTox yielded the
lower number of roots, ranging from 9 to 11 roots per bulb. They also produced shorter roots,
with only 7 to 9 cm length, compared to the 11 to 13 cm roots in the onion not treated with the
pesticide.

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Table 1. Root growth of Allium bulbs treated and untreated with BioTox pesticide, after 5 days.

Treatment
Distilled Water BioTox
Replicate
Number of Mean Root Number of Mean Root
Roots Length (cm) Roots Length (cm)
1 28 11 5 2
2 29 11 5 2
3 29 11 5 3
4 31 13 6 2
5 30 13 6 3

Mean 29.4 11.8 5.4 2.4

Computing for the mean number of roots, the control bulbs still had the longer roots
(11.8 cm) than the treated bulbs (2.4 cm). The difference between the two set-ups is clearly
represented in the graph (Fig. 2). Thus, BioTox had a negative effect on the growth of onion
roots by inhibiting the formation and elongation of roots. Consequently, the growth of the
whole plant could be adversely affected due to its decreased ability to absorb nutrients from
the soil.

Figure 2. Bar graph comparing the root growth of Allium bulbs treated and untreated with
BioTox pesticide.

This observed effect of BioTox could be explained through a number of possible

mechanisms. As written on the label, BioTox is an organic pesticide composed of two main
active ingredients, sativalin and bermide. Sativalin is a ditroaniline compound that is a potent
inhibitor of cell division by disrupting the protein synthesis machinery of the cell (Waxman
1998). Thus, this may have caused the disrupted production and elongation of onion roots.
Moreover, bermide, the second active ingredient, is a form of azide known to inhibit ATP

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production (Greene and Pohanish 2005). This may also be the reason for the retarded growth
of the onion roots since energy is vital for cell growth and reproduction. These components
make BioTox very effective in killing insect pests. However, BioTox’s killing potency is not
selective. That is, when organisms, other than the target organism (rice insect pests) become
exposed to this chemical, BioTox can also be harmful or even kill them. Thus, if too much of
this liquid pesticide is applied or if it leaks or is spilled, it could really be a major threat to the
environment.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

The effect of BioTox on the growth of onion (A. cepa) roots was determined. Five onion
bulbs were separately placed in beakers with BioTox while the control set-ups were five onion
bulbs placed in beakers with distilled water. After five days, the number of roots and mean
root length per bulb were measured and recorded.
Results showed that the control bulbs had significantly more roots (29 roots on the
average) compared with the treated bulbs (5 roots on the average). The former also had longer
roots having a mean of 11.8 cm while the latter only had a mean root length of 2.4 cm.
Therefore, BioTox had a negative effect on the growth of onion root. This may be due
to a number of reasons. However, these speculations need to be validated by further
experiments that would deal with the active ingredients separately so as to know their more
specific effects. It is also recommended that the effect of varying concentrations of this
chemical could also be determined.

LITERATURE CITED

Greene SA, Pohanish RP. 2005. Sittig's Handbook of Pesticides and Agricultural Chemicals. USA:
SciTech Publishing, Inc. p. 240-242.

Levine MJ. 2007. Pesticides: A Toxic Time Bomb in our Midst. USA: Praeger Publishers. p. 101.

Vodpopich DS, Moore R. 2002. Biology Laboratory Manual. 6th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. p.
224-225.

Ware GW, Whitacre DM. 2004. Pesticide Book. UK: Meister Publishing Co. p. 65.

Waxman MF. 1998. Agrochemical and Pesticide Safety Handbook.USA: Lewis Publishers.p. 18-
24.