Magnetic Field Affects Growth and Yield of Sunflower Under Different Moisture Stress Conditions

Abstract

Magnetic field treatments of seeds have shown significant effects on the enhancement of crop growth. Soil moisture stress is the major constraint in the production of the sunflower crop. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of a 200 mT magnetic field for 2 h on crop growth, and yield of sunflower crops raised from magnetically treated seeds sown under different moisture stress conditions. Results showed that plants from magnetically treated seeds had higher leaf area index, shoot length, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, biomass, 1000‐seed mass, and seed yield as compared with untreated. Radiation use efficiency and water productivity were significantly higher in plants raised from magnetically treated seeds than untreated seeds. Crop raised from magnetically treated seeds had 6.2% more seed yield, 7.1% more protein, and oil content as compared with crops raised from untreated seeds. Hence, it may be concluded that exposure of dry sunflower seeds to the static magnetic field of 200 mT for 2 h could be used for improving crop growth and yield under different moisture stress conditions. © 2021 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Biological Effects of Magnetic Storms and ELF Magnetic Fields

“…A significant number works on plants related to SMF with inductions from 4 to 500 mT [145][146][147]. Works on ELF-MF variables are not numerous.…”

“…The dependence of ELF-MF effects on time after exposure can have different characteristics. The degree of manifestation of biological effects can be either monotonically increasing/decreasing with time or have a complex form of increasing and decreasing [142,147,160,221]. In particular, it has been shown in fruit flies that the effects of magnetic exposure can be manifested in subsequent generations, F1, F2, etc.…”

The Impact of Magnetic Field and Gibberellin Treatment on the Release of Dormancy and Internal Nutrient Transformation in Tilia miqueliana Maxim. Seeds

“…Helianthus annuus L. seeds exhibit low production under soil moisture stress. The application of a 200 MT magnetic field to Helianthus seeds could effectively improve crop growth and yield [20]. This suggested that magnetic field treatment not only impacted the internal physiological metabolism of seeds but also mitigated the inhibition of seed germination caused by adverse conditions.…”

Pre-Sowing Static Magnetic Field Treatment of Vegetable Seeds and Its Effect on Germination and Young Seedlings Development

“…Maffei [7] and Pietruszewski and Martinez [8] give an overview of the studies that have addressed how magnetic fields can affect plants. Several other reviews have stressed the beneficial effects on seed invigoration and seedling performance of "magneto-priming", i.e., a pre-sowing treatment of seeds with magnetic fields [9], classifying them under eustressors [10], as well as the better reaction of the plant to environmental stress [11]. This method is critical because it offers important advantages compared to chemical treatments of the seeds [12].…”