Growth characteristics, photosynthetic pigments content and phenolic compounds content in the almond (A. scoparia and A. eburnea) exposed to static magnetic field

Despite the numerous studies on the effect of the magnetic field on plants, the exact mechanism of these effects has not yet been determined. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of magnetic field on growth and photosynthetic characteristics of two almond species (Amygdalus scoparia and A. eburnea). For this purpose, 21-day-old almond plants were affected by 10 mT static magnetic field for 4 days, 5 hours each day. The fresh weight, dry weight, water content and length of ground and aerial parts were measured. Also, the number of leaves, leaf area, photosynthetic pigments content and finally total phenol content were investigated. The results showed that the fresh weight, water content and length of the plant in the shoot increased compared to the control samples, but the number of leaves and the size of the leaf area did not change. In addition, the content of chlorophyll and carotenoid decreased, but the amount of phenolic compounds increased in A. eburnea. It seems that static magnetic fields have receptors in the almond plant that act like phytochromes and induce relevant responses.