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BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MAGNETIC FIELD INDUCED ENHANCEMENT IN CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.) SEEDS IN RELATION TO SOIL MOISTURE STRESS

KrishiKosh

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Title BIOPHYSICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF MAGNETIC FIELD INDUCED ENHANCEMENT IN CHICKPEA (Cicer arietinum L.) SEEDS IN RELATION TO SOIL MOISTURE STRESS
 
Creator NILIMESH MRIDHA
 
Contributor S. Nagarajan
 
Subject irrigation, sowing, vegetative propagation, planting, land resources, soil water content, chickpeas, developmental stages, biological development, area
 
Description T-8110
Experiments were conducted to study the effect of pre-sowing seed exposure
to static magnetic field on two chickpea varieties with a view to understand their
mechanism of action in terms of seed water absorption, root dynamics and growth and
yield. A desi variety, Pusa 256 and on a kabuli variety, Pusa 1053 were selected for
this study. Seeds of both varieties exposed to 100 mT static magnetic field for 1h,
standardized by preliminary experiments were used as the starting material for all
experiments.
Temporal changes in seed water absorption in magnetically exposed seeds of
both varieties had higher rate of absorption which may be attributed to magnetically
induced greater seed membrane permeability to water. Seed water activity was greater
for magnetically exposed seeds. This indicated that in treated seeds, not only seed
water content increased, but also its corresponding water activity that resulted in early
germination. Seed water diffusivity increased in general with time and in magnetically
treated seeds, seed water diffusivity values were greater than untreated controls and
hence better water absorption in these seeds.
Dynamics of root characters under two soil water regimes (12 & 20%) clearly
demonstrated consistent increases in all parameters in treated plants over unexposed
control. The relative increase over untreated control was more for Pusa 1053 than
Pusa 256. Periodic measurements in root and shoot weight and the length of the
longest root in the same experiment also showed similar trend.
Study conducted in pots maintained under -0.1 MPa and -0.2 MPa soil water
potentials exhibited significant improvement for various physiological traits in plants
grown from magnetically treated seeds and reduced significantly from flowering to
podding stage and with soil moisture stress. Similar trend was observed for growth
and root parameters. However, in plants from treated seeds, adverse effect of stress
was ameliorated as they maintained relatively higher photosynthesis and leaf water
status through osmotic adjustment and greater root length and root surface area. In
both varieties, RUE and WUE decreased sharply under stress conditions. Magnetic
field exposure has improved RUE and WUE over unexposed controls except for Pusa
1053 at -0.1 MPa potential. At harvest irrespective of magnetic treatment, drastic
reduction in grain weight of stressed plants was observed but in well watered
condition, plants from magnetically treated seeds produced more biomass, pod
number and grain weight than untreated controls.
It may be concluded that exposure to static magnetic field of 100 mT for 1h
improved seed water absorption characteristics in desi and kabuli varieties of
chickpea that resulted in early germination and early vigour of seedlings. Improved
root system coupled with superior leaf water status led to increased photosynthesis in
mature plants and produced greater biomass and grain weight. Also, when these plants
were subjected to severe water stress (-0.2 MPa), the adverse effect was ameliorated
partially by magnetic field treatment.
 
Date 2016-12-17T10:15:44Z
2016-12-17T10:15:44Z
2009
 
Type Thesis
 
Identifier http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/90738
 
Format application/pdf
 
Publisher IARI, DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL PHYSICS