Effects of moderate static magnetic field presowing treatment on seedling growth and oxidative status in two Raphanus sativus L. varieties

Abstract

Improvement of seed performance by static magnetic field (SMF) constitutes a safe ecological way to substitute chemicals use. In laboratory conditions, we studied the effects of presowing seeds of two varieties of Raphanus sativus (Red: R.R, Red and White: R+W) by moderate SMF on seedlings’ growth and oxidative status and this by using different intensities (100 and 200 mT) and exposure times (2 and 3 h). For radish, the SMF pretreatment of 100 mT/3 h induced significant enhancement of 8 day-old seedling biomass production and this by about 26 and 29% for respectively the RR and the R+W varieties. However, R.R seems to be more sensitive to SMF than R+W based on biomass production. Moreover, for the beneficial pretreatment of 100 mT/3 h, SMF-induced effects were also observed when white light was substituted by blue one using light filters. Besides, catalase (CAT) activity was significantly stimulated in radish plantlets (about 36% in cotyledons). Nevertheless, assimilatory pigments decreased (p<0.05) significantly (by about an average of 25%) but malondialdehyde (MDA) content remained unvaried. To conclude, SMF-presowing -at the treatment of 100 mT/3 h- allowed, in our experimental conditions, the improvement of R. sativus initial growth while keeping a good oxidative status.

Keywords: Performance, presowing, radish, static magnetic field

African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(3), pp. 275-283