Various Effects of Pulsed and Static Magnetic Fields on the Development of Castanea Sativa Mill. In Tissue Culture

Abstract

The growth of shoots and roots (Castanea sativa Mill.) in tissue culture stimulated with a weak pulsed electromagnetic field (EMF) (250 ± 5 μT peak intensity), frequency 2, 12, and 24 Hz and different times of stimulation as well as stimulated with samarium-cobalt round magnets with B_r = 1060 mT and H_c = 760 kA/m 24 hr/day was investigated. The experiments lasted 28 days for the growth of shoots and 21 days for rooting. Stimulation with pulsed EMF 1 hr/day had the most stimulative effects. Namely, a field of 24 Hz stimulated growth and 2 Hz the number of axillary buds. Stimulation for 2 hr/day had no effects, 24 hr/day was slightly inhibitory. In the field of 2 Hz, rooting was most effectively stimulated in October (for 24 hr/day every other day). The static magnetic field had no pronounced effects on the growth of shoots; the south pole stimulated the growth more than the north pole.