Bioelectromagnetics for improved crop productivity

Various electromagnetic (EM) treatments has been investigated for their potential in improving crop productivity over the past century. There is today an increasing amount of scientists advocating EM treatments as an organically compatible method for improving plant growth and yield. However, failure to produce repeatable effects and defining causal mechanisms has made it a study of much controversy and debate. The subject requires indepth interdisciplinary knowledge, making it inaccessible for the majority of biologists, horticulturists and growers. In this combined literature review and pilot study, these issues are addressed by providing a comprehensive introductory review of the topic plant bioelectromagnetics and its potential horticultural usability. A vast amount of literature has been reviewed to assess the nature of electromagnetic fields (EMF), what effects of horticultural relevance has been observed, what the fundamental mechanisms behind studied effects might be, and ultimately the potential of using EM treatments for improved crop productivity. A pilot study investigating the effects of an EM pre-sowing treatment of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum, seeds is also presented both as a means of assessing the usability of EM treatments and providing an example of a study in bioelectromagnetics. In the pilot study, a 50 Hz non-uniform sinusoidal EMF of 160, 40 and 9 mT was used to treat the seeds for 15 or 30 minutes, with un-exposed seeds as controls. The exposure was also set in three background static magnetic field (SMF) conditions; one where Ion Cyclotron Resonance conditions for calcium were met (65.8 ?T), one where they were not (68.5 ?T) and one where only the natural geomagnetic field was present (46.9 ?T). The results indicate that a background SMF of 65.8 ?T has a significantly inhibitory effect on germination of S. lycopersicum (p

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