Photosynthetic performance and productivity of maize (Zea mays L.), exposed to simulated drift of imazamox and subsequent therapy application with protein hydrolysates

Abstract

The use of herbicides is а traditional method for weed control in crop-producing systems. Along with the high effective weed control, herbicides might cause phytotoxicity for crop plants, due to insufficient herbicide selectivity, combining herbicide treatment with unsuitable meteorological conditions, long-term persistence of herbicide in the soil or off-target transfer of the herbicide -drift. Imazamox is a selective herbicide of imidazolinone group, used to control annual and perennial weeds in imidazolinone-resistant (IMI-R) crops. Protein hydrolysates (PHs) are a group of plant biostimulants containing small peptides and free amino acids, reported to ameliorate plant abiotic stress tolerance, including herbicide phytotoxicity. This report evaluates the damaging effect of simulated imazamox drift on growth, photosynthetic performance and productivity of maize plants as well as the efficiency of foliar application by protein hydrolysates as therapy means. The received results demonstrated that the simulated imazamox herbicide drift has a strong inhibiting effect on maize plants. This is well illustrated by the retarded growth of maize plants, their disrupted photosynthetic activity and productivity losses. The foliar supply of PHs to imazamox damaged maize plants ameliorates their photosynthetic performance, growth and crop productivity.

Application of Biostimulants and Herbicides as a Promising Co-Implementation: The Incorporation of a New Cultivation Practice

“…The ameliorative effect of biostimulants after imazamox herbicide application was also noticed in a field experiment in pumpkins, where plants were able to recover quickly and overcome the harmful effects of the herbicide [6]. Similar results were obtained in a maize experiment where a simulation of imazamox drift effect was performed to see if the ameliorative effect of protein hydrolysates could help the cultivation overcome the herbicide stress [49]. Their results show that the application of protein hydrolysates can increase yield compared to the sole application of herbicide and even reach, in some cases, the control values.…”

Does the Amount of Pre-Sowing Nitrogen Fertilization Affect Sugar Beet Root Yield and Quality of Different Genotypes?

“…Photosynthesis activity and plant development are crucial for plant growth and stable yield [12]. Nitrogen fertilization has a direct influence on canopy development, green color, and photosynthetic activity, which allows farmers to monitor crop health more quickly and easily [13][14][15][16][17][18]. An excess or lack of N in sugar beets are direct reflections of the plant phenotype.…”