Can sunlight‐driven photocatalytic degradation reduce the adverse impact of herbicides on maize?

ABSTRACT Various herbicides are utilised in maize ( Zea mays L.) production, to reduce the harm caused by the extensive and diverse weed populations. However, herbicide residues may negatively impact cultivated crops, including maize, making it essential to explore strategies for decreasing herbicide toxicity following their application. One of the possibilities is to subject herbicides to photocatalytic degradation and to examine the effects of degradation products on germination and early plant growth and development. The products of sunlight‐driven degradation of sulcotrione, mesotrione and tembotrione, using ZnO as a catalyst, were tested on maize plants cultivated under controlled conditions. No notable differences among the treatments applied were detected during germination, but variations in fresh weight, dry weight, and concentrations of photosynthetic pigments in young plants were evident. The applied degradation treatments did not alter the impact of tested herbicides uniformly, but overall this approach has shown efficiency and may serve as a convenient solution in addressing herbicide residues that cause detrimental effects on crops.