SEEDLING GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF FLAX, BUCKWHEAT, SUNFLOWER AND FIELD PEA AFTER PRESEEDING MAGNETIC TREATMENT

Abstract

Dry seeds of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) and field pea (Pisum sativum L.) were given brief magnetic exposure prior to germination. Seed of high and low germination potential were grown in petri dishes at 10 and 20 °C. A small number of seed lots produced earlier and more vigorous seedling growth as a result of magnetic treatment, but the differences were small and inconsistent. In the field, there were no improvements in yield from magnetic seed treatment in three out of four years. In one year there was a significant increase in yield for sunflower.