Exploring the Impact of Magnetic Water on the Physiological and Functional Parameters of Maize as a Vital Industrial Crop

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water, Energy and Environment Center, Imam Hossein University, Tehran, Iran

2 Biosystem Mechanical Engineering Department, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Magnetized water as an environmentally friendly method boosts crop yield and quality. In this study, we investigate the effects of magnetized water treatment on vegetation growth responses and physiological parameters and vegetation growth responses of maize plants and physiological parameters. For this purpose, we provided the experimental design for a semi-large scale in the field. We evaluated three irrigation regimes including 2.31 (100%), 1.73 (75%), and 1.15 (50%) inches per foot with magnetized water, and compared to normal irrigation water during the cultivation period. In the context of maize cultivation in the field, it is noteworthy that the use of magnetized water resulted in a higher germination percentage of maize seeds compared to those irrigated with regular water. Furthermore, the length, weight, and number of seeds per ear in magnetized water treatment, especially 100%, were significantly more than control, which increased grain yield (about 30%). Meanwhile, the chlorophyll content of maize was reduced in an irrigation-dependent manner the lowest was in 50% treatment but magnetized water increased photosynthetic pigment content in leaves. The distribution pattern of insoluble sugars mirrored that of soluble sugars under the irrigation regimes in both treatments. However, the application of 100% magnetized water notably enhanced soluble sugars compared to the control. In addition, the production of anthocyanin and carotenoid increased by magnetized water 100% in maize leaves. Proline accumulation was also noted to decrease with reduced irrigation water levels in both magnetized and normal treatment groups, ranging from 100% to 50%. Hence, our findings indicate that the use of magnetic water may enhance crop yield by facilitating the transport of sugars through the increased presence of photosynthetic pigments and enhanced sugar synthesis. This effect is likely influenced by the specific water quantity needed for maize irrigation in conjunction with magnetic water application.

Graphical Abstract

Exploring the Impact of Magnetic Water on the Physiological and Functional Parameters of Maize as a Vital Industrial Crop

Highlights

  • Magnetic water improved the germination rate of corn seeds by 23%.
  • The use of magnetic water led to higher levels of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and total chlorophyll in corn leaves.
  • Magnetic water facilitated the accumulation of carotenoids and anthocyanins, which contribute positively to plant resilience during drought conditions.
  • There was a significant increase in soluble sugars in plants treated with magnetic water compared to the control group.

Keywords

References

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Agrotechniques in Industrial Crops
Volume 5, Issue 1
Agrotechniques in Industrial Crops (Agrotech Ind Crops) (Online ISSN: 2783-2945)
March 2025
Pages 57-69

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