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Showing 2 results for Electromagnetic Field
Effects of electromagnetic field and ultrasonic waves on seed germination of Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
Saeideh Maleki Farahani, Alireza Rezazadeh, Mahdi Aghighi Shahverdi,
Volume 2, Issue 1 (9-2015)
Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of an electromagnetic field and ultrasonic waves on the seed germination of Cuminum cyminum that two separate experiments using a completely randomized design with four replications was conducted at Seed Science and Technology Laboratory of Faculty Agricultural Sciences, the Shahed University of Tehran in 2012. In the first experiment, for the seeds of zero, 10 and 30 min exposure to electromagnetic field intensity was 88 microTesla. In the second test (ultrasonic waves), seeds for zero, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min exposure ultrasonic waves’ intensity were 40 and 59 kHz. The interaction between the electromagnetic field and the length had a significant effect on the traits of length, fresh weight and dry weight of root and shoot, length and weight of root to shoot ratio, percent and rate germination and mean germination time. In most of the studied traits showed that electromagnetic field causes a significant decrease in the number of traits so that the control (zero M.T) had the highest value. The interaction of Ultrasonic waves at the time had a significant effect of on the most traits. Maximum germination percentage (100%) for the treatment of 40 kHz with duration of 4 and 6 minutes and mean germination time was highest in control (10.76 days) and 59 kHz treatment duration of 2 and 4 min (respectively 11.01 and 10.75 days). Generally, Cuminum cyminum seeds responded positively to the use of ultrasonic waves (In contrast field) and germination index was significantly increased in this case.


Electromagnetic Priming: A Novel Strategy to Enhance Drought Tolerance in Seeds and Seedlings of Rice (Oryza sativa cv. Hashemi)
Davar Molazem,
Volume 12, Issue 2 (3-2026)
Abstract
Objective: This study investigated the effectiveness of electromagnetic priming in improving drought tolerance of Hashemi rice (Oryza sativa L.) during germination and early seedling growth.
Method: A factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design with three replications was conducted in 2024 at the Islamic Azad University, Astara Branch. Rice seeds were exposed to magnetic fields (0, 50, 100, and 150 mT) for 20 or 40 minutes and then subjected to four PEG-induced drought levels (0, -2, -5, and -10 bar). Germination indecies and physiological traits including proline, MDA, and chlorophyll were measured after 25 days.
Results: The mean comparison of interaction effects showed that in the absence of an electromagnetic field (0 mT), increasing drought stress from 0 to −10 bar significantly decreased germination percentage from 97% to 66.53%, germination rate from 0.43 to 0.19 seeds day⁻¹, radicle length from 65.80 to 28.66, and plumule length from 45.33 to 17.33 mm. However, application of a 100 mT magnetic field considerably limited these reductions to approximately 24% and 49% for germination percentage and seedling length, respectively, indicating an improvement of more than 20% in maintaining germination capacity. With increasing drought stress, proline content significantly rose from 1.01 to 8.34 µmol g⁻¹ FW, and MDA increased from 4.40 to 8.00 mmol g⁻¹ FW, while chlorophyll a decreased from 0.64 to 0.17 and chlorophyll b from 0.75 to 0.32 mg g⁻¹ FW. In the control (0 mT), chlorophyll a exhibited a 72% reduction, whereas at 100 mT this reduction was limited to 56.8%, reflecting approximately 15% improvement. Regression analysis revealed that the effect of magnetic field intensity on the measured traits depended strongly on the drought stress level and did not follow a consistent pattern; under severe stress (−10 bar), no significant linear relationship was detected.
Conclusions: The application of magneto-priming within the optimal range may serve as a simple, eco-friendly, and practical approach to enhance drought tolerance in rice seeds and improve early seedling establishment under unfavorable environmental conditions. In the present study, the treatment with 100 mT for 40 minutes resulted in improved seedling vigor indices for both length and weight. These findings offer new perspectives for the application of physical technologies in agricultural stress management and provide a basis for further field-based studies.

Highlights
  • Germination responses to magnetic fields are nonlinear and depend on field intensity and drought stress level.
  • Electromagnetic priming at 100 mT for 40 minutes mitigates drought stress effects by up to 20% in germination traits.
  • Magneto-priming offers a simple, eco-friendly strategy for improving rice seedling establishment under drought conditions.

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