An effective dose of magnetic field to increase sesame plant growth and its resistance to fusarium oxysporum wilt

Abstract

Globally, sesame consumption continues to increase, so it requires additional production to balance. Often there are obstacles in the production process, both technique and the presence of pests. One way to increase production is to treat it with a magnetic field during seed growth and germination. This study aims to determine the magnetic flux density (MFD) to obtain the optimal stem growth, chlorophyll content, fruit size, and plant resistance to Fusarium oxysporum. The seeds are processed by giving treatment using a MFD of 0.0-0.5 mT, which oscillates with a frequency of 50 Hz. Plant seeds were treated using a magnetic field every day for five days with a treatment time of 20 minutes each. The results showed that sesame seeds treated with magnetic fields had earlier emergence time of sprouts, higher stems, more chlorophyll content, faster flowering, larger fruit sizes, and more resistance to F. oxysporum wilt attacks. Treatment with a MFD of 0.3 mT resulted in optimal plant growth, health, and resistance to F. oxysporum attack. Treatment of seeds using magnetic fields ranging from wetting the seeds to germinating makes the plants healthier, bigger fruits, and more resistant to F. oxysporum wilt attacks.