Enhancement in Germination, Seedling Growth and Yield of Radish (Raphanus sativus) Using Seed Pre-Sowing Magnetic Field Treatment

Radish seeds (Raphanus sativus, Mino variety) were exposed to full-wave rectified sinusoidal magnetic fields (MF) of strengths 40 mT, 80 mT, and 110 mT for 2.5, 5, and 10 min each, and its effects have been investigated on germination, seedling growth, and yield. Seeds were sown following the MF treatment according to the protocol of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) under controlled laboratory and field conditions. The MF treatment of seeds marginally reduced the days taken for germination while significantly (P<0.05) increasing seedling growth and yield. Plant height, root length, root mass, root girth, and yield increased up to 118.64%, 119.5%, 76.43%, 61.74%, and 76.41%, respectively, versus control. The results have shown that the environmentally friendly MF seed treatment could be used practically to enhance the germination and yield of radish crop.