Magnetic field effects on physiological traits and seed germination of safflower crop and its four important weed species

According to other experiments, electromagnetic field is considered as kind of tension that can affect directly or indirectly on plants. Thus, an experiment was conducted as completely randomized design arrangement in a factorial with three factors including 5 plant seeds [crop seeds of safflower (Carthamus tinctorious) cultivar Goldasht and four species of weeds include pigweed (Amaranthus spp.), Portulaca (Portuloca oleracea), wild oat (Avena fatua), and Chenopodium (Chenopodium album)], magnetic field intensity (10 and 20 milli tesla for 4 hours), and seed status (wet and dry) to study the effect of magnetic field on mentioned plants seeds. The results of this experiment showed that magnetic field 10 milli tesla increased germination traits (germination percentage, germination speed, length of root and shoot), weight and length vigor, and seedling dry weight. Magnetic field 20 mili tesla decreased germination parameters in examined plants. Magentic field had lower and higher effect on portuloca and amaranthus seeds in relative to the other plants seeds. Also, application of the magnetic field increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase) and reduced of malondialdehyde content in all seedlings.