Deficit irrigation management with magnetized water to improve mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) growth and production

Deficit irrigation and magnetically treated water can be sustainable agronomic techniques to improve water use efficiency, plant development, and agricultural crop yield. A pot study was conducted to investigate the impact of distinct deficit irrigation regimes using magnetically treated and untreated water on the development and grain yield of mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek.] crops in a clayey soil of the Brazilian Cerrado. Mungbean plants were irrigated with magnetized water (MW) and non-magnetized water (N-MW) using four deficit irrigation regimes [20, 40, 60, and 80% of soil field capacity (FC)], considering a 2×4 factorial scheme, with four repetitions. The plants were maintained under distinct deficit irrigation regimes with MW or N-MW throughout the crop's entire growth and development cycle (80 days). Plant growth rate, relative chlorophyll index, plant morphological traits, production components, and crop grain yield were measured. The results showed that the deficit irrigation regime of 60% and 80% of FC improves the rate of plant growth and development and grain yield of the mungbean crop. Although mungbean is considered a drought-tolerant crop, low soil water availability causes severe inhibition of plant growth and development and drastically reduces the crop's grain yield. Irrigation with magnetized water had no beneficial effect on mungbean crops' plant growth and development and grain yield. Plant growth rate, plant height, shoot dry matter, relative chlorophyll index, and number of grains per pod positively correlate with grain yield. In contrast, root length has a highly negative correlation with the grain yield of mungbean crops.