Chitosan oligosaccharide alleviates the growth inhibition caused by physcion and synergistically enhances resilience in maize seedlings

The use of biopesticides has gradually become essential to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural production. Nevertheless, the use of single biopesticides is frequently suboptimal in agricultural production given the diversity of biotic and abiotic stresses. The present study investigated the effects of two biopesticides, physcion and chitosan-oligosaccharide (COS), alone and in combination, on growth regulation and antioxidant potential of maize seedlings by seed coating. As suggested from the results, physcion significantly inhibited the growth of the shoots of maize seedlings due to the elevated respiration rate. However, COS significantly reduced the growth inhibition induced by physcion in maize seedlings by lowering the respiration rate and increasing the content of photosynthetic pigments and root vigor, which accounted for lower consumption of photosynthesis products, a higher photosynthetic rate and a greater nutrient absorption rate. Thus, an improved growth was identified. As indicated from the in-depth research, the application of physcion and COS combination is more effective in down-regulated the malondialdehyde (MDA) content by facilitating the activities of the antioxidative enzymes (i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD)). Such results indicated that the combined use of physcion and COS neither affected the normal growth of maize seedlings, but also synergistically improved the antioxidant potential of the maize plants, resulting in plants with high stress resistance. Thus, the combined use of physcion and COS by seed coating in maize production has great potential to ensure yield and sustainable production of maize.