Synergistic Impacts of Optimal Doses of Gamma Irradiation (Gy) and Magnetically Treated Water to Enhance Biophysical Parameters of Maize Seeds

Maize production in Pakistan faces ongoing challenges, including low germination percentages and restricted seedling growth, which ultimately reduce crop yields.This study investigated the synergistic effects of gamma irradiation and magnetically treated water on the germination and early seedling growth of maize seeds.Tap water was magnetized using a 211mT magnetic field for durations of 20, 30, 40, and 50 minutes.Simultaneously, maize seeds were subjected to gamma irradiation at doses of 50, 100, 150, and 200Gy.Principal Component Analysis and heatmap visualization analysis were used to assess treatment efficacy.Results showed that the highest gamma dose (200 Gy) significantly decreased germination to 33% in T4 and negatively affected seedling growth.In contrast, lower doses (50, 100, 150Gy) combined with magnetic water treatments enhanced germination percentages to 66, 86, and 73% in T1, T2, and T3, respectively and improved growth compared to control.The best result (86%) observed under 100 Gy gamma irradiation and 30min magnetic treatment.This integrated approach using an optimal dose of gamma irradiation along with magnetically treated water presents a promising, eco-friendly strategy to improve maize germination and vigor, ultimately contributing to sustainable agricultural productivity.