MAGNETIC TREATMENT OF IRRIGATION WATER FOR IMPROVING VEGETATIVE GROWTH, FRESH AND DRY YIELD OF BEAN (PHASEOLUS VULGARIS L.) GROWN UNDER PLASTIC HOUSE

Abstract

Using magnetic water is an important environmental factor for agriculture in irrigation systems specially drip irrigation. However, its impact on plant growth is not well studied under normal conditions. Two field experiments were conducted during 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 seasons in a plastic house at Horticulture Research Institute, Kaha station, Kalyobia governorate, Egypt to study the impact of magnetized water on growth, yield and some chemical constituents of two bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars and Hama. Results showed significant positive effects of magnetic water on quantity and quality of the studied parameters such as germination %, leaf area/ plant, early and total green pods and seeds weight/ plant. Irrigation with magnetic water gave more vigorous plants. Most studied traits of bean such as vegetative growth (plant height, No. of leaves/ plant, fresh & dry weight/ plant and leaf area/ plant), seed yield and NPK contents of leaves showed significant increase when magnetic water was used. The response of the two cultivars to the magnetic water has similar trend. However, Goya cv gave higher values of vegetative growth measurements as well early and total green pod yield/ plant and seed yield (seed weight/ plant and weight of 100 seeds). The enhancement of these studied characters may be due to that the irrigation with magnetized water make plants absorb more nutrients from soil. Increasing of soil nutrients enhancement photosynthesizes property of plants. This experiment was carried out in order to highlight the efficiency use of magnetic water on bean yield and its components.