Effects of ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic field on vital characters of spring and winter cereal seeds

Abstract

Vital characters of seed material are important for obtaining predicted yields of marketable grain. Electrophysical methods of pre-sowing treatment are considered to be environmentally friendly and effective ways to increase seed germination. The findings of an experiment on pre-sowing treatment of cereal seeds in an ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic field (UHF EMF) are discussed. The research targets were seeds of spring and winter cereal crops: spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) of the Nikita variety; spring oat (Avena sativa L.) (Fobos variety); winter soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (Novosibirskaya 2 variety); winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittm. ex A. Camus) (Omskaya variety). We studied UHF EMF with a power of 0.14; 0.42; 0.70 kW, with exposure of 1; 11; 21 sec. After sprouting of the treated seeds, laboratory germination was determined. For Nikita spring barley seeds, it was possible to increase germination 2.33 times compared to the control values; that made 93.33%. The germination rate of spring oats of the Fobos variety was increased from 66.67% to 90.00%, i.e. 1.35 times. The stimulation of sprouting of winter crop seeds (wheat and triticale) under the action of an ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic field led to germination increase by 3.33% compared to the initial level. Pre-sowing treatment of cereal seeds leads to increased germination through stimulating the germination of those seeds that normally do not germinate or germinate later. The nature of the effect of the ultrahigh frequency electromagnetic field on spring crop seeds (barley and oats) refers to hormesis, i.e. the two-phase response of a living organism to a stressor.