Photosynthetic pigments and phytochemical activity of photosynthetic apparatus of maize (Zea mays L.) leaves under the effect of thiamethoxam

In the last decade, neonicotinoid insecticides have been actively used to protect plants from pests. Moreover, their effect on the plants, in particular on the state of photosynthetic pigments, has been studied paucity. In the present work, it was shown for the first time that treatment of maize (Zea mays L.) leaves with a thiamethoxam (TMX) insecticide leads to a decrease in the functional activity of photosystem II and a decrease in the energyzation of thylakoid membranes. In addition, the effect of thiamethoxam depends on the genotype of maize. The aim of the work was to study the effect of thiamethoxam pesticide on photosynthetic pigments and the photochemical activity of the photosynthetic apparatus of corn leaves of two genotypes. The experiments were carried out in 2018-2019. The object of the study was samples of maize leaves of the inbred line zppl 225 and hybrid zp 341 with high rates of germination, grain quality and yield (Institut za kukuruz “Zemun Polje”, Belgrade, Serbia)...