Effect of microwave (2.45 GHz) treatment of soil on yield components of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

ABSTRACT

Pre-sowing microwave (MW) irradiation (2.45 GHz) of soil for 120 s was investigated for sustainably enhancing wheat yield. A two-factor factorial glasshouse experiment was conducted to explore the bio-stimulation effect of MW energy on wheat crop growth and yield. The 175% increase in dry biomass and 96% incremental increase in grain yield of wheat were obtained through the application of 2.45 GHz MW energy to soil at N₁ (0 mg N pot ^–1) compared to non-microwave treated soil. The MW irradiation of soil holds potential to significantly enhance wheat productivity.

KEYWORDS:

• Microwave
• soil
• nutrient dynamics
• wheat yield

Acknowledgments

The first author was provided with a Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship and a Melbourne International Research Scholarship to support his work at the University of Melbourne. This work was also supported by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research work was executed with the financial support of Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) [grant number PRJ-008765].

Notes on contributors

Muhammad Jamal Khan

Muhammad Jamal Khan received the Master of Sciences (Honors) degree in Agronomy from Pir Mehr Ali Shah-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan, in 2014. He started Doctor of Philosophy degree in Agriculture Sciences in the University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 2015. His research interests focus on microwave weed management and bio-stimulation effects of microwave energy on soil nutrients dynamic in cereals.

Graham Brodie

Graham Brodie received the PhD degree in microwave engineering from the University of Melbourne in 2005. He is currently with the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Melbourne. His research interests include microwave heating of bio-materials; using microwaves for sensing and communication in agriculture and forestry; improving water-use efficiency in agriculture; producing renewable energy on farms; on-farm animal waste management; and applications of Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technologies in agriculture and archaeology.

Dorin Gupta

Dorin Gupta is a crop scientist working with the University of Melbourne with a research focus on improving the sustainability and efficiency of crop production systems (cereals and legumes) through optimum resource use, field experimentations, and molecular techniques for managing biotic (fungal) and abiotic (drought) stresses. Dr Gupta obtained her PhD degree from H.P. Agriculture University, Palampur, India, in 2003. She was awarded prestigious Vavilov Frankel Fellowship in 2008 by Bioversity International Rome funded by GRDC, Australia. She is passionate about taking on challenges for sustainable food production and security.