Impact of electromagnetic treatment on seed germination and growth of Cucurbita pepo and Cucumis melo

Abstract

In order to develop a chemical-free and sustainable agricultural practice to trigger the germination and growth in plants, pre-sowing electromagnetic treatment was exposed on seeds of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) and melon (Cucumis Melo) were investigated. Genetically uniform seeds were exposed to the magnetic fields 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 and 1.0 kilogauss (kG) for 15 minutes, respectively by an electromagnet (rectified sinusoidal no uniform). The treated and control (non-treated) seeds were sown in separate trays in same laboratory conditions. Germination percentage (GP), relative germination percentage (RGP), relative root growth (RRG), relative shoot growth (RSG), Germination Index (GI), Vigor index (VI) and biochemical parameters were measured by standard methods. There were significant statistical and visual differences noticed among all sets of experiments. Data analyzed that electromagnetically treated seeds give better results than non-treated seeds. The suitable range of electromagnetic treatment for melon seed was 0.9 kG and for pumpkin seed, it was 0.6 kG for 15 minutes each. Results suggest that the pre-sowing electromagnetic treatment could possibly be used to improve the productivity of plants by enhancing germination and seedling growth with a chemical free, damage-free and sustainable method at cultivator level.