Effects of 60 Hz Non- Uniform Electromagnetic Fields on Tomato (cv L-05) Seed Germination, Photosynthesis and Seedling Growth Under Salt Stress Conditions

Abstract

Effects of 60 Hz non-uniform electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on the tomato (cv. L-05) seed germination, photosynthesis, and seedling growth under salt stress and laboratory conditions were investigated. A previous trial investigated the impact of salt stress levels (0, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mM NaCl) on tomato seeds, and the 100 mM NaCl level was selected to study the effects of EMFs in attenuating salinity stress on germination, physiology, and growth of tomato seedlings. In the second experiment, untreated seeds and seeds treated with nonuniform EMFs of 2, 4 and 6 mT for 9 min were exposed to a 100 mM NaCl saline solution (SS). The results of the first bioassay showed that the addition of SS drastically reduced the germination percentage (67%), mean germination time (54%), mean germination speed (69%), germination rate index (39%), and germination vigor (78%) of tomato seeds when compared to the control treatment. In the second experimental trial, the effect of pretreatment of tomato seeds with EMFs of 2 or 4 mT for 9 min exposed to SS stress revealed a significant increase in the germination percentage (224%-226%) and germination rate (128%-151%). Salinity stress drastically reduced the tomato seed germination while 60 Hz nonuniform EMFs induced a mitigating response of tomato seeds under salinity stress to improve the germination, photosynthesis, and seedling growth. The 60 Hz nonuniform EMFs of 4mT for 9 min showed the best biological responses under salinity stress. Applied EMFs to tomato seeds protect tomato plants under salinity stress. Bioelectromagnetics. 00:00-00, 2024. © 2024 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Keywords: NaCl; Solanum lycopersicum L; low‐frequency electromagnetic field; plantlets.