Summary Of The Research

SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH WORK DONE I. TITLE OF THE RESEARCH WORK Effect of magnetic pulse treatment on growth, yield and quality of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) II. OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY  To standardize the LD50 value for magnetic pulse treatment in Potato.  To study the effect of different magnetic pulse frequencies on germination, growth and yield of Potato.  To study the effect of different treatments on the physiological and biochemical parameters and quality of potato.  To work out the economics and the cost of cultivation of potato by the application of magnetic treatment. III. INTRODUCTION: Food security in terms of production is meaningless if the agricultural resource base that produces it get itself threatened. Deterioration of soil health, stagnation in productivity, insecurity of quality food and other environmental hazards have come before the scientific community as mammoth challenge, necessitating the quest for new research avenues. Magnetic pulse treatment is one among them, which is well validated in few crops for improving the yield and other growth parameters in different parts of the globe. Most of which is restricted to the Field crops i.e., cereals, millets and pulses. In spite validations the scientific community still to gives its due and on the contrary dubbed it as a pseudo-science and hence refuted by the intellectuals in many parts. In Indian scenario it’s a very new and thus needs thorough research to place it on the commercial labyrinth for the farm level extension. Potato is occupying a substantial area and importance in the India. Potato crop has a wide range of uses as food products, fodder and raw material for industry. During recent years attention has been paid to increasing the yield and quality of potatoes. Earlier studies indicated that quality of potato and its derivative depends on factors like cultivars,

soil properties, field management, environmental conditions, treatments provided during culture and fertilization. Also because of widely varying genetic characters and methods of cultivation, pathogenic damage to the plants causes considerable loss. Several research efforts are being undertaken by various governmental agencies/ nongovernmental organizations, and corporations to improve final crop yield. This study is one such attempt aimed at improvement of yield of Potato in terms of both quality and quantity using a totally novel approach. IV. REVIEW OF WORK DONE Over the last 30 years or so, biophysicists have theorized that magnetic fields may interact with living tissue (animal or plant) and physiological processes at discrete or preferred "frequency windows" of the electromagnetic spectrum, eliciting responses at extremely low levels of intensity. These concepts found excellent confirmation in a series of experiments carried out and reported by Sanker Narayan et al., (1984) during the mid l980s. This work, carried out exclusively on test animals and human volunteers, showed that sinusoidal magnetic fields at extremely low intensities and frequencies could provide a powerful tool of therapy for a variety of ailments. These studies were extended to the plant kingdom. Responses of this kind, a catalyzing effect when seeds are exposed to electromagnetic fields before sowing, also have been observed in the case of plants as reported by Picazo et al. (1999). The results point out that magnetic fields at extremely low frequencies (ELF) and very low intensities have a beneficial effect on various morphological and biochemical parameters, both with percentage germination and final crop yield, in quality and quantity. Quercus seeds exposed to low frequency electromagnetic fields showed significant increase in growth of seedlings, indicating that an electromagnetic stimulus was beneficial in increasing the biomass of the seedlings (Celestino et al., 2000), Statistically significant stimulatory effects of magnetic fields on the growth of Pieea abies seedlings were observed in the presence of 100-pM amounts of aluminum (Ruzie et al.. 2000). Studies conducted with sinusoidal magnetic field (50 Hz, 25 and 100 mT, for 12 hr/day) on Picea abies seedlings under water .stress showed inhibition of germination and mass growth of seedlings, while under normal conditions the effects were either zero

or stimulatory (Ruzie et al.. 1998), Oryza sativa seeds exposed to 150-mT magnetic field showed an increase in their germination percentage relative to unexposed seeds (Carbonell et al.. 2000). Krijaz and Valencic (1989) observed the effect of ELF magnetic fields and temperature on differential plant growth (Lepidium sativum). The study revealed that al 12-mT magnetic field, the shoots showed increased growth, and at 6 mT. root growth showed enhancement. Rooting of Forsythia spp. was stimulated by magnetic fields, whereas there was inhibition in root growth in llex spp. (Smith and Mays. 1984). There was no effect of field on Impatiens spp. when stimulated with magnetic fields at 15 Hz. The growth of shoots and roots in Castanea saliva in (issue culture was stimulated with a weak electromagnetic field (Ruzic et al., 1993). Jones et al. (1989) reported that a magnetic field at 15 Hz. stimulated the formation of the enzyme important for the differentiation of xylem cells grown in suspension culture, mainly in the first subcultures. While these studies provide valuable stepping stones of information concerning the effects of electromagnetic fields on plant life in general, (here has been no comprehensive study so far on the effect of such fields on the percentage germination, growth, and yield of agricultural crops with special emphasis on possible use at the commercial level. The present work studies the effects of sine wave magnetic fields on the germination, growth, and yield of Potato. V. DETAILS OF EXPERIMENT 1. Variety: Kufri Jyoti and Canna beck 2. Growing conditions: Open field and under protected/Polyhouse condition 3. Design of Experiment: RBD 4. No. of Treatments: 5 5. Replication: 4 6. Plot size: 7 m x 3 m 7. Location: Nanjanad Farm, Institute of Commercial Horticulture, Ooty 8. Period of Study : May, 2007- January, 2008

VI. TREATMENT DETAILS T1 – 0.1 Hz T2 – 1.0 Hz T3 – 10 Hz T4 – 100 Hz T5 - Untreated control All the treatments were imposed @ 5 hrs per day for 15 days VIII. METHODOLOGY The above said treatments have been imposed to the Potato tubers (Seed materials) using the Pulsative Magnetic Field Enclosure containing coils, which generates the magnetic field of different strength or intensity, frequency and wave form modulated by functional generator. PULSATIVE MAGNETIC FIELD (PMF) ENCLOSURE The pulsative magnetic fields used in the experiments were generated by specially fabricated controlled magnetic field (CMF) enclosure. The four member coil system of CMF enclosure designed after the primary equations of Faunsleau and Brauenbeck is made up of two sets of circular coils. The inner two being of larger diameter and the outer two of smaller diameter, all the four being mounted co-planar and co-axial. The four coils are wound with the same number of turns of enameled copper wire, four coils being electrically connected in "series aiding" configuration. The ratio of the diameters of the two sets of coils and also the spacing between them are so adjusted that the entire disc shaped volume between the inner (larger) coils offer the most uniform magnetic field. An estimated degree of homogeneity of about one part in 5000 or so expected which can be classed as "excellent" for the work. The coil system is energized by pulsed electric current from a function Generator where the strength, frequency and wave form of output current can be controlled to any desired values, thus offering along the axis of the coil system a highly uniform or homogenous pulsating magnetic field. To ensure that the alternating current power supply to the function generator is not interrupted during the PMF exposure by possible, power failure, an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system is build into the supply circuit which delivers uninterrupted power regardless of any power failures. As regards

the geometry or presentation of PMF the controlled magnetic field coil assemblies were all kept with their axis vertical so that the axis of PMF passes trough the test objects (test seeds) vertically. The PMF for exposure from a standard function generator, where a 'carrier wave' of frequency 100 Hz was "frequency modulated" by another wave of 0.3 Hz frequency. The resulting output will be a wave whose frequency varies with time at a frequency of 0.3 Hz. In principle with the above system the input pulsative magnetic field will be a constant intensity wave whose frequency pulses at 0.3 second frequency. Pulsed Magnetic Field Enclosure- “Agrotron”

Functional Generator

Potato tubers being Ammeter treated Pulsed Magnetic Exposure Unit

EXPOSURE DETAILS About 25 kilograms of Potato tubers is taken in five trays for the four replication. The seeds were exposed to PMF of frequency 0.1 Hz, 1 Hz, 10 Hz, and 100 Hz, intensity of 1500nT, current 30 mA and square wave for five hours (continuous exposure) per day for a period of 15 days. Seeds without exposure to pulsative magnetic field served as control. The seeds exposed to PMF wave in dry condition. EXPOSURE DURATION The above mentioned treatments were imposed at four varying frequency levels of 0.1 Hz, 1 Hz, 10 Hz and 100 Hz and a constant magnetic field intensity of 1500 nT (Nano Tesla) to the potato tubers for the duration of 5 hours daily for the period of 15 days. These magnetic frequencies have been finalized after the standardization of the LD50 value with different combination levels of frequencies from 0.1 Hz to 10,000 Hz for different exposure durations (1 Hour, 2 Hour, 5 Hour and 10 Hour) at different types of wave curves viz., linear, sine, curvilinear etc. for periods of 5, 10 and 10 days in different permutation and combinations. Then based on the best germinability percent the best combiner was found to be for the series of treatment levels of 0.1 Hz to 100 Hz as extreme frequency treatment levels (1 K, 10 K Hz etc) caused detrimental effects to the cells and other constituents, leading to the reduced levels of sprouting and the final germination count. VII. OBSERVATIONS TO BE TAKEN A. Growth & Yield parameters: 1. Germination (%) 2. Mean Germination Time (days) 3. Plant height (cm)

4. Number of Haulms 5. No. of leaves per plant 6. Mean haulm diameter (mm) 7. Leaf area (cm2) 8. Yield per plot (kg) 9. Yield per plant (kg/plant) 10. Number of tubers per plant 11. Mean tuber weight (g) 12. Shoot tuber ratio 13. Percentage of different tuber grades 14. Duration (days) 15. Dry matter content of tubers (g/100g) 16. Shelf life of tubers

B. Physiological parameters: 1. Crop Growth Rate (g/ m2/day) on 30th and 60th day 2. Relative Growth Rate (g/m2/day) on 30th and 60th day 3. Chlorophyll content (µg/100g) 4. Ethylene evolution rate 5. Nutrient uptake studies in soil and plant (N, P, K, Ca, B and Mg) C. Bio-chemical parameters: 1. Starch content of tuber (mg/100g) 2. Total carbohydrates in tubers (mg/100 g) 3. Total Phenols in tubers 4. Free Amino acid content (µg/100 g) 5. Gibberellic acid 6. Indole Acetic acid 7. Cytokinin D. Enzyme analysis 1. α- Amylase

2. β-Amylase 3. Polyphenol oxidase E. Disease and pest incidence Diseases: 1. Late blight 2. Early blight 3. Potato leaf virus (Potato leaf curl virus, PVX and PVY) Pests: 1. Potato cyst nematode ( No. of cyst per mm of roots) 2. Number of aphids per leaf 3. Cutworm / Agrotis incidence

VII. RESULTS The results elucidated Treatment T4 (100 Hz) as superior with all the parameters of germination, morphological, physiological and biochemical characters. Yield wise too the same treatment performed well in all the replications and both the growing situations. The treatment T4 (100 Hz) has shown some degree of resistance against the lethal late blight and cutworm, very prevalent in the region of the study. VIII. ABSTRACT Electromagnetic energy sources in the form of electromagnetic waves can be generated naturally and can also be man-made. These waves consist of oscillating electric and magnetic fields that can be of many different frequencies, are perpendicular to each other, and can travel in vacuum with the speed of light (3x 10 m/s). These energy 8

sources interact differently with biological systems such as cells, plants, animals, or human beings. Researchers working in the area electromagnetic energy with animals, plants etc. have different

opinions

as

to

their

effects.

For

some

EMF

radiation

is

an

environmental hazard and is a concern and is often linked to cancer related syndromes and leukemia. Other researchers look at the positive effects, specifically in the growth of plants and seeds. So, following these line of work this study has been planned for the application of physical forces in sustainable crop production. The results elucidated that 100 Hz as best treatment with all the parameters of germination, morphological, physiological and biochemical characters. Yield wise too 100 Hz treatment performed well in all the replications and both the growing situations. The treatment 100 Hz has shown some degree of resistance against the lethal late blight and cutworm, very prevalent in the region of the study. The germination and sprouting was found enhanced due to the improved levels of some biochemical constituents like, chlorophyll, growth regulators (particularly Gibberellic acid and Indole acetic acid) and enzymes (amylases and polyphenol oxidase). The enzymes made the different physiological function more efficient and polyphenol oxidase enhanced the resistance against the pests and diseases. The novel technology has been tried to the Potato to enhance its productivity and quality for the interest of the farming community at large.

RESEARCHER: Abid Hussain M. Sc. (Horticulture)- Vegetable Science Institute of Commercial Horticulture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Ooty-643001 , Tamil Nadu, India