Abstract
<p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of pre-germination treatments (magneto-priming and immersion of seeds in gibberellic acid solution) on variables associated with germination, emergence and vigor of Passiflora edulis seeds ‘BRS Gigante Amarelo’ cultivar. Seeds were extracted from fruits, washed, immersed for 6 hours in solutions with different GA3 concentrations and later arranged in a circular form in Petri dishes at temperature of 25°C, with and without exposure to magnetic field. Subsequently, analyses associated with the germination and emergency test were carried out. The experimental design was completely randomized design, with 3x2 factorial, three GA3 concentrations (0, 50 and 100 mg L-1) and presence/absence of magnetic field (MF), with four replicates of 20 seeds each. Variables germination percentage, germination speed index, mean germination time, percentage of emerged seedlings, emergence speed index, shoot length and root length and seedling dry weight were evaluated. Results indicate that the exposure of passion fruit seeds to MF in an isolated way stimulates seed germination, emergence and vigor, being an alternative to conventional treatments based on chemical substances.</p>
Highlights
Plants are commonly used as models for the characterization of biological responses in relation to the exposure to various physical factors, such as microwave irradiation (MW), ultraviolet radiation (UV), ionizing radiation (IR) and others (Araújo et al, 2016)
Pre-germination treatment based on seed exposure to magnetic field (MF) is called magneto-priming and has the purpose of promoting seed germination and vigor, as well as increasing the yield of the most varied crops (Aguilar et al, 2009; Rathod and Anand, 2016)
The magneto-priming technique used in soybean seeds, an agricultural crop of great importance in the country, increased germination speed compared to control treatment, suggesting a certain influence of MF in the processes of water absorption by seeds, such as stabilization of water pH, which in the absence of MF, presented unstable pH, a fact that may have resulted in increased speed and uniformity of the germination process (Torres-Osório et al, 2006)
Summary
Plants are commonly used as models for the characterization of biological responses in relation to the exposure to various physical factors, such as microwave irradiation (MW), ultraviolet radiation (UV), ionizing radiation (IR) and others (Araújo et al, 2016).In the last years, studies have suggested the positive action of magnetic field (MF), promoting the germination of seeds of agricultural interest and reducing the time of seedling emergence (Afzal et al, 2012; Zia et al, 2012; Iqbal et al, 2016; Baghel et al, 2016; Baghel et al, 2017). Pre-germination treatment based on seed exposure to MF is called magneto-priming and has the purpose of promoting seed germination and vigor, as well as increasing the yield of the most varied crops (Aguilar et al, 2009; Rathod and Anand, 2016). This physical method, in addition to providing higher germination, vigor and yield performance of some crops, represents a viable alternative to conventional chemical-based treatments such as plant growth regulators, which are costly and difficult to handle by farmers (Aladjadjiyan, 2012; Araújo et al, 2016). The magneto-priming technique used in soybean seeds, an agricultural crop of great importance in the country, increased germination speed compared to control treatment (no exposure of seeds to MF), suggesting a certain influence of MF in the processes of water absorption by seeds, such as stabilization of water pH, which in the absence of MF, presented unstable pH, a fact that may have resulted in increased speed and uniformity of the germination process (Torres-Osório et al, 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
