Several Pesticides Influence the Nutritional Content of Sweet Corn

Abstract

Herbicides are pesticides used to eradicate unwanted plants in both crop and non-crop environments. These chemistries are toxic to weeds due to inhibition of key enzymes or disruption of essential biochemical processes required for weedy plants to survive. Crops can survive systemic herbicidal applications through various forms of detoxification, including metabolism that can be enhanced by safeners. Field studies were conducted near Louisville, Tennessee and Painter, Virginia to determine how the herbicides mesotrione, topramezone, nicosulfuron, and atrazine applied with or without the safener isoxadifen-ethyl would impact the nutritional quality of "Incredible" sweet corn ( Zea mays L. var. rugosa). Several herbicide treatments increased the uptake of the mineral elements phosphorus, magnesium, and manganese by 8-75%. All herbicide treatments increased protein content by 4-12%. Applied alone, nicosulfuron produced similar levels of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids when compared to the nontreated check, but when applied with isoxadifen-ethyl, fatty acids increased 8 to 44% relative to the check or control. Nicosulfuron plus isoxadifen-ethyl or topramezone or the combination of all three actives increased the concentrations of fructose and glucose (40-68%), whereas reducing levels of maltose or sucrose when compared to the nontreated check (-15 to -21%). Disruptions in biochemical pathways in plants due to the application of herbicides, safeners, or other pesticides have the potential to alter the nutrient quality, taste, and overall plant health associated with edible crops.

Evaluation of the nutritional profile of sweet maize after herbicide and foliar fertilizer application

“…(2009) reported a significant increase in the content of carotenoids in a moderately sensitive sweet maize genotype. An increasing trend in the content of carotenoids after applying certain herbicides was also reported by Cutulle et al, (2018). The significant increase in the content of carotenoids in the sweet maize kernel could probably be explained by the formation of a large carotenoid pool as a result of mesotrione application (Kopsell et al, 2009).…”

“…The markedly different trend in the content of phytochemicals obtained in this study might indicate the variability in their susceptibility to herbicides and also the dependence on the genotype. The obtained variations in the content of phytochemicals indicate there is an alteration in the plant biochemical pathway in the presence of herbicides and foliar fertilizer and emphasize the complexity of the metabolic pathway that occurs (Cutulle et al, 2018). The performed PCA revealed that the variation in the content of phytochemicals depended both on the genotype and the applied treatments.…”

“…Due to the benefits to human health, an attempt to obtain food of high nutritional quality has become a worldwide trend. The increase in the nutritional quality of sweet maize through herbicide application has been reported in only two papers (Kopsell et al, 2009;Cutulle et al, 2018).…”

Lack of effects of glyphosate and glufosinate on growth, mineral content, and yield of glyphosate- and glufosinate-resistant maize

“…However, they found a 1.2 kg ha −1 glyphosate dose slightly reduced the yield of GR maize, even though a sequential treatment of 0.96 plus 0.72 kg ha −1 glyphosate had no effect on yield. Mild stress caused by the maize herbicides mesotrione, topramezone, and nicosulfuron was reported to increase Mg, Fe, and Mn in leaves of non-transgenic maize (Cutulle et al 2018).…”

Nutritional Quality and In Vitro Rumen Fermentation Characteristics of Silage Prepared with Lucerne, Sweet Maize Stalk, and Their Mixtures

“…Sweet maize (Zea mays L.) is extensively planted in China and many other regions of the world due to the fact of its high sugar content and better flavor [6][7][8][9]. China has become the country with the second largest area of growing sweet maize since 2008 [10].…”