Fate of Thiamethoxam (TMX), a Neonicotinoid Insecticide, Coated on Corn Seeds – a Greenhouse Study.

Fate of Thiamethoxam (TMX), a Neonicotinoid Insecticide, Coated on Corn Seeds Ð A Greenhouse Study Abstract Authors: Julia Cushman, Rory Maguire, and Kang Xia Thiamethoxam (TMX) is a second-generation neonicotinoid insecticides commonly used as seed coatings for a variety of crops such as corn, soybean, sorghum, cereals and rice. Neonicotinoids are more toxic than traditional fumigants and are highly soluble (so as to become absorbed by crops and provide continued protection), traits which are desirable for insecticides. However, neonicotinoids have also been found to be toxic to non-target species, including honeybees, arthropods, and crustaceans and other aquatic species, even at concentrations as low as 0.01 ppb. Two recent studies found neonicotinoids in the majority of surface waters within an intensive corn production region of the U.S. Midwest and an intensive canola production region of Canada. The temporal patterns of neonicotinoids stream concentrations pulsed with rainfall events during crop planting, suggesting treated seeds as a likely source of neonicotinoids in the aquatic environment; however, the routes and mechanism by which neonicotinoids move from fields into streams are not yet understood. The objective of this research was to determine how TMX[RM1] moves from corn seeds to the surrounding soil environment. TMX-coated corn seeds were planted in pots in a greenhouse and the plants were harvested at V4 growth stage. The levels of TMX in bulk soil, root soil, and rhizosphere soil, and in plant roots and shoots were analyzed using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Results from this study will demonstrate the distribution of TMX in plant as well as in soil and its potential for movement from coated seeds to their surrounding soil environment. [RM1]Repeats what you said in first sentence