Effect of low frequency magnetic field (LFMF) on germination and vigour of accelerated aged radish (<i>Raphanus sativus</i> L.) seeds

ABSTRACT With the development of bio-magnetism, magnetic field (MF) treatment has been widely used in many fields, including Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry. Among seed priming methods, the use of the MF treatment as a physical priming has the advantages of creating no pollution and allowing an easy operation. In this experiment, the low frequency magnetic field (LFMF) was generated by Viofor JPS Delux - a patented device adopted from human medical magnetic therapy. Seeds of radish ( Raphanus sativus L.) cultivars Carmen (C) and Szkarłatna z Białym Końcem (SBK) were subjected to the routine accelerated aging (AA) procedure. Next, they were removed from the stress conditions, dried back to the standard moisture content level, and then treated with 10, 20 and 30 μT LFMF for 30, 60, 90 and 120 min., respectively. Afterwards, their seed quality was evaluated by germination and vigour tests. The results showed that LFMF treatment has improved the germination and vigour of the AA radish seeds. The optimal seed treatment conditions of the cultivars were different: for the cultivar C - 20 μT, 120 min. and for the cultivar SBK - 20 μT, 60 min. The quality of radish seeds and seedlings was also tested by a new method based on their ultra-weak photon emission during their germination and seedling growth. The received result could prove that LFMF treatment on AA seeds could have changed the metabolic processes responsible for germination and growth rate, but it had no harmful effect on the nature of their growth process.