Magnetic Field Treatments Improves Sunflower Yield by Inducing Physiological and Biochemical Modulations in Seeds.

Aayushi Gupta,Saman Saleem,Joanna Korczyk-Szabo,Muhammad Amir Bakhtavar,Muhammad Sohail Saddiq,Noshin Shafqat,Ayman E. L. Sabagh,Zia ul Haq,Muhammad Shahid,Irfan Afzal,Eldessoky S. Dessoky,Marian Brestic,Milan Skalicky,Talha Javed,Aneela Afzal,Muhammad Kamran

doi:10.3390/molecules26072022

Abstract

Magnetic seed enhancement has been practicing as a promising tool to improve germination and seedling growth of low vigor seeds stored under suboptimal conditions, but there is still ambiguity regarding the prospects for magnetism in oilseeds. Present study elucidates the potential of magnetic seed stimulation to improve sunflower germination, growth and yield. Germination and emergence tests were performed to optimize the strength of the magnetic field to sunflower seed enhancement. The seeds were directly exposed to magnetic field strengths of 50, 100 and 150 millitesla (mT) for 5, 10 and 15 min (min) and then standard germination tests were performed. Secondly, the emergence potential of untreated seeds was compared with seed exposed to hydropriming, priming with 3% moringa leaf extract (MLE), priming with magnetically treated water (MTW) for 10 min and priming with 3% MLE solution prepared in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE). Germination, emergence, seedling growth and seed biochemical properties were used to select the best treatment for field evaluation. The results of the study revealed that magnetic seed treatment with 100 mT for 10 min and seed priming with 3% MLE solution in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE) significantly improved emergence, crop growth rate and sunflower yield.

Highlights

Quality seed with robust germination is always an important consideration in commercial field crop production [1]
The degradation of seed components during storage occurs through damages caused by oxidizing agents, but the extent of such reactions is defined by quality of the seeds, which is affected by fluctuations in temperature and moisture [2]
Maximum value of germination energy was observed in magnetic seed treatment 100 mT for 10 min whereas least values were given by control treatment (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Quality seed with robust germination is always an important consideration in commercial field crop production [1]. Sunflower seeds have lipids composition, which reinforce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and may lead to reduced germination and viability [4] during storage. Oil concentrations, activities of superoxide dismutase, alcohol dehydrogenase, catalase, and malate dismutase decreased in sunflower seeds during storage, which result into further decline in germination over time [5]. These are the aspects over which farmers have no control and they have to rely on these deteriorated seeds for crop production [6]

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