INSECTICIDES IMPACT ON SEED GERMINATION AND EARLY SEEDLINGS GROWTH IN MAIZE (Zea mays L.)

The germination is the initial step of plant life cycle and seedling establishment and it is the crucial physiological periods for plant development. On the one hand, an appropriate seed treatment may help seeds to overcome biotic stress during storage and on the other it has beneficial effects on physiological seed quality. In this study were investigated under laboratory conditions the germination and early seedlings growth response of maize to different types of insecticides (antranilamids: HGW86 and E2Y45; neonicotinoids: Poncho 600 FS) applied 90 days before the laboratory trial. Untreated seed was used as control variant. The treatments for maize seeds in order to protect against biotic stress agents generally had no negative effects on germination and early seedlings growth. Nevertheless, choosing the right combination of products to apply as a seed treatment is very important. Future research needs to clarify the impact of insecticides treatment on maize seeds physiological quality.