Herbicides toxicity effects on seed germination of Sammaz-15 and Oba Super-6 maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars

Nigeria is among the largest maize producing countries in Africa, using different brands of uncontrolled imported herbicides to control weeds associated with maize cultivation. The need to feed the ever-increasing population of Nigeria comes with a proportionate increase in the use of different brands of herbicides to control the menace of weeds in agricultural fields. This is of great concern, considering the effects of herbicides on the physiology of crops and seed germination when they are absorbed in the soil. This study aimed to determine the toxicity of some commonly used herbicides viz.: Paraforce, Striker and Vinash on the germination of two maize varieties, namely Sammaz-15 and Oba Super-6 maize. A total of 225 maize seeds belonging to two cultivars, namely Sammaz-15 and Oba Super-6, were exposed to five different concentrations of three herbicides (Paraforce, Vinash, and Striker). The results revealed that all three herbicides negatively affected seed germination as well as plumule and radicle length, indicating their toxic effects on maize growth.