Response of the Medicinal Plant Salvia L. to Magnetized Saline Irrigation Water

Agricultural sector is the largest consumer of fresh water worldwide. Therefore, finding a suitable alternative for the use of fresh water in agriculture can be a key solution to future water crisis issues. Application of saline water by using appropriate methods can be an option for irrigating salt-tolerant plants. One of these methods may be magnetizing irrigation water. In the present study, to investigate the effect of magnetized water on the fresh and dry weight, as well as the essential oil of the medicinal plant Maryam Goli (Salvia L.), a pot experiment was conducted in an open space using a factorial design and completely randomized layout with four replications. The experimental treatments included salinity of irrigation water prepared from different concentrations of Caspian Sea water (30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% mixing with well water) and a control treatment (well water), in both magnetic and non-magnetic conditions. Due to rainfall during the growth season, at the end of the experiment, the saturation extract salinity (EC) of the soil corresponding to the control treatment and the 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% water mixtures were 3.15 (I0), 3.65 (I1), 4.55 (I2), 4.75 (I3), and 5.06 (I4) dS/m, respectively. The results showed that, in the I4 treatment, both the dry and fresh weights of the plant decreased by 40% and 25%, respectively. However, regarding the effect of magnetized water, the results indicated that in saline treatments with soil EC less than 3.65 dS/m (I0 and I1), use of magnetized water prevented a significant decrease in the weight of Maryam Goli plant shoots. Furthermore, the research results demonstrated non-significant changes in the essential oil of Maryam Goli plant due to irrigation with different salinities as well as magnetic water. Based on the results, it is recommended that irrigation management of Maryam Goli plants using magnetized saline water be carried out in such a way that the saturation extract salinity of the soil does not exceed 3.65 dS/m during the growing season.