Effect of weak sinusoidal magnetic field on germination and yield of cotton (Gossypium spp.)

This paper presents the results of a preliminary study on the effects of sinusoidal magnetic fields on percentage germination, growth, and yield of cotton (Gossypium species). The paper covers a brief account of the experimental setup, protocol, and the essential parameters employed. The study was carried out using var.spch-1 cotton seeds having three different germination capacities (Type 1-31%, Type 2-49%, Type 3-64%). The seeds were subjected to magnetic fields with nine different frequencies and intensities as follows: A. 1 Hz, 100 nT; B. 1 Hz, 1500 nT; C. 1 Hz, 4000 nT; D. 10 Hz, 100 nT; E. 10 Hz, 1500 nT; F. 10 Hz, 4000 nT; G. 100 Hz, 100 nT; H. 100 Hz, 1500 nT; I. 100 Hz, 4000 nT. In Type 3 cotton seeds exposed to 10 Hz, 100 nT fields, the yield was 75.3% higher than that of control, and in Type 2 cotton seeds exposed to 100 Hz, 1500 nT fields, the yield was 85.2% higher than that of control. The experiment leads to two major clear-cut findings: 1. Pre-sowing exposure of seeds to extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields catalyzes certain varieties of cotton to yield as much as double the crop output yielded by unexposed controls. 2. The yield is strongly frequency dependent, i.e., the cotton varieties show outstanding responses only at specific frequencies.