JOURNAL OF FOOD AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT, ISSN: 1459-0255, Volume: 9, Issue: 2, Pages: 772-777, Part: 2, Published: APR 2011

Abstract: Radiations cause diverse morphological and physiological responses in plants, but the underlying mechanisms governing these integrated responses are unknown. Previous observations demonstrated that treatments of maize seeds before sowing by low-frequency electromagnetic waves have stimulating effect on growth and development during the first vegetation periods. Therefore, the aim of our study was to test if treatments of maize seeds before sowing by low-frequency electromagnetic waves have effect on leaf composition during later growth period until blooming. Five low-frequency electromagnetic radiation treatments (V(1) 22 Hz; V(2) 22.5 Hz; V(3) 23 Hz; V(4) 23.5 Hz; V(5) 24 Hz; MT control) were used in for seeds of corn (Zea mays) hybrids PR36V52 and PR36D79. The seeds were sown in a comparative crop type trial: each variant had 8 rows, with 3 replications of 30 m each. The pre-emergent crop was winter wheat. Fertilisation was done evenly over the entire area with rates of N(120)P(80)K(80), a fertilisation rate achieved by applying in the preparation of the germination bed, 400 kg of compound fertiliser of N(20)P(20)K(20)type, and during vegetation, when the plants had 8-10 leaves, 100 kg urea was applied. Leaf samples for analysis were collected before blooming of the plants. Thre leaves were taken from each plant, from the stem basis, from the middle of the stem and from the upper stem, every second row. Leaf samples were analysed for lipid, crude protein, crude fiber, carbohydrates, chlorophyll a and b and carotenoids. Leaf lipid, raw fibre, carbohydrate and chlorophyll contents were higher in PR36V52 and raw protein and carotenoid contents in PR36D79. Highest leaf lipid, raw protein and raw fibre contents were in treatment V(5) (24 Hz). There was no proportional increase of the pigment levels to the increase of the experimental wavelength.