title: Effects of presowing pulsed electromagnetic treatment of tomato seed on growth, yield, and lycopene content.
abstract: The use of magnetic field as a presowing treatment has been adopted by researchers as a new environmental friendly technique. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of magnetic field exposure on tomato seeds covering a range of parameters such as transplanting percentage, plant height, shoot diameter, number of leaves per plant, fresh weight, dry weight, number of flowers, yield, and lycopene content. Pulsed electromagnetic field was used for 0, 5, 10, and 15 minutes as a presowing treatment of tomato seeds in a field experiment for two years. Papimi device (amplitude on the order of 12.5 mT) has been used. The use of pulsed electromagnetic field as a presowing treatment was found to enhance plant growth in tomato plants at certain duration of exposure. Magnetic field treatments and especially the exposure of 10 and 15 minutes gave the best results in all measurements, except plant height and lycopene content. Yield per plant was higher in magnetic field treatments, compared to control. MF-15 treatment yield was 80.93% higher than control treatment. Lycopene content was higher in magnetic field treatments, although values showed no statistically significant differences.
authors.affiliation: Open University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 24801, 1304 Nicosia, Cyprus.
authors.forename: Aspasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Efthimiadou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crop Production, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Katsenios
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture Crop Production and Rural Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Street, N. Ionia, 38466 Magnisia, Greece.
authors.forename: Anestis
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-0477-9923
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karkanis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crop Production, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Panayiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Papastylianou
authors.affiliation: Department of Business Administration of Food and Agricultural Enterprises, University of Patras, Seferi Street 2, 30100 Agrinio, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Triantafyllidis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crop Production, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ilias
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Travlos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crop Production, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bilalis
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012639:Seeds / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects*
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids; D000077276:Lycopene
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