MAGNETISM AND PLANT GROWTH

III. EFFECT ON GERMINATION AND EARLY GROWTH OF CORN AND BEANS

U. J. PIrrueN
Research Stati.on, Canada Department of Agricubure, Lethbridge, Alberta
Received April 8, 1965
ABSTRACT

response is indicated.
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INTRODUCTION
For personal use only.

posed them to a magnetic field. Exposure for 5,20,25,30,60, and 150 minutes
caused inhibition, but 10, 15, and 17 minutes did not. Recently, Neurath and
Berliner (7) demonstrated the formation of growth bands in Nerrospora with
periods ranging from 15 to 90 hours but these were shown to depend on tem-
perature and composition of the growth medium. They termed the response
endogenous but not circadian.
The following experiments were done (a) to determine if the r€sPonse
previously reported (8, 9) occurs also in corn Zett rnay s L. and beans Phaseolus
bulgaris L. and (b) to investigate the cyclic nature of the resPonse.
MATERIALS AND METH.DS
orientation Test
Visibly sound seeds of Wheatland corn and Red Mexican beans that had been
stored for 2 months in darkness were placed at separate times in a suitably
grooved rubber plug fitted between the facing poles of a large permanent
magnet (IS2500 type 13A250).' Nine seeds of each variety were oriented with
'Manufactured by Indiana Steel Products, Valparaiso, Indiana.
Can. |, Plant Sci. Vol. 45 (f965)
5+9
 550 C{NADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE lVol, 45

remaining three seeds were germinated with the proximal end (corn) or micro-
pvlar end (beans) oriented randomly either east or west. All seeds were
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germinated in darkness at 28"C in a wooden, controlled-temperature cabinet

located where randomly occurring introduced magnetic fields were undetect-
able with a field compass and were therefore assumed to be negligible. After
a.72-hottr germination period the total length of all visible growth on each seed
was measured.

Duration of Exposure Test

Uniform seeds of
magnet previously
toward the north
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magnet after each

replaced immediately with three other seeds which were then kept between the
poles of the magnet until the completion of the test and then germinated. A
control set of seeds from the same seed source was randomly placed in an iden-
tically grooved rubber plug stored away from the influence of the introduced
magnet. Three seeds were removed from and replaced in this plug at the same
times and in the same manner as previously described. Immediately after re-
moval from their respective rubber plugs all seeds were placed in juxtaposition
'Ottawa hybrid-SC 727 5 -8,-++-10-63.

Table 1. Effect of seed orientation on total growthr of Wheatland corn

(48 hours pregermination treatment-72 hours germination)
PREGERMINATION IREATMENTS
MEANS FOR
OFIENTATION RELATTVE TO INTRODUCED MAGNETIC FIELD
CERMINATION
CHECK PROXIMAI ENO ENO
PROXIMAL PROXIMAL END TREATMENTS
EAST OR WEST SOUTH ; NOFTB
t
zy'F 88 ?9 5 ro 7 o.o
zF i EAST OR WEST B
i
s=>
9e e
e,., I PFOXIMAL END
-k1 i.6 SOUTH
7 40 L4 9 3.8
B

G EJ:
t9 0 t7 0 159 2tz
NORTN

MEANS FOR
PRE GERMINATION
G TRE ATME NTS 3.O 2o'5
D D 0 c

tTotal length (mm) of visible growth in 72 hours.

Means underyritten by same letter are not significantly difierent,

Source Sisnificance
- 1% St
Pregermination orientation 1.2
Germination orientation l7o 1.2
Pregerm. X germ. orientation 1% O.7

si%:7.74
 November 19651 PITTMAN-MAGNETISM AND PLANT GROWTH. III 551

Table 2. Effect of seed orientation on total srowthl of Wheatland corn

(96 hours pregermination treatment-72 hours germination)
'.
PREGERMTNAIoN rniarr"ret'ni I MEANs FoR
oRTENTATT.N RELATTvE To rNTRooucED MAGNETTc FrELD
GERMINATION
TR EATME NTS

-^ " 3 ,^o"'roa ,no 136 i

2ts ?g 8.8
62 =-i lersroiw?.i I
16 l
c

24.4
B
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rTotal length (mm) of visible growth in 72 hours.

Means underuritten by same letter are qot significantly difierent.

Source Signilicance qn
Pregermination orientation 107
L/O J.'
Germination orientation 1U
t /o 2.5
Pregerm. X germ. orientation 10/
L/A 1.4
Si 70 : 8'15

and ite as previously described but with all proximal

ends th geomagnetic pole and at a temperature of 25"C.
Afte all visible growihg parts was measured.
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RESULTS
orientation Test
Pregermination seed orientation relative to an introduced magnetic field
affeited the growth rate of Wheatland corn. Total length of [rowth was
greater (P > 0.01) on seeds that were oriented with their proximal ends toward
the north pole of the magnet before germination and then germinated with
those same ends oriented toward the north geomagnetic pole than on seeds
oriented other ways (Tables 1,2, and 3). Growth was usually visible 8 to

'fable 3. Effect of seed orientation on total srowthr of Wheatland corn

(192 hours pregermination treatment-72 hout" germination)
PREGERMINATION TREATMENTS
MEARS FOR
ORIENTATION RELATIVE TO INTRODUCED MAGNETIC FIELD
GE RMINATION
CHEC(
PROXIMAL ENO PROXIMAL END PFOXIMAL END ]
IREATM ENTS
EAST OR WEST SOUTH N ORTH

PROXIMAL EilD -t
EAST OR WEST
z 26 5 €
:h ztsn
3> e..F PROXIMAL ENO
26 0 t5 !a3 28I 27.2
=: ;:5
7
SOUTH
E= I
;<4
PROXIMAL END
NORTA
t3 5 248 35 5

TEANS OR
PFEGENMIIATIOI TREATIENTS 240 223 308
EF OE 0

rTotal length (mm) of visible growth in 72 hours.

Means underwritten by same letter are not signi6cantly difierent

Source Significance 5f
Pregermination orientation |107
/a 1.3
Germination orientation \1U /o 1.8
Pregerm. X germ. orientarion 1U
L /A 1.0
si 7a : 6.74
 552 CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PLANT SCIENCE lVol. 45

N
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i
s

t'

I
For personal use only.

a 24 0 4A 0 72 0 96 0 r20 0 44 0 r5A O r92 0 2160

Frc. 1. Average lenEiths of grorvth on corn seed following various durations of pregermina-
tion exposurc to an introduced nagnetic force. Bars containing same letters are not signifi-
canth/ diffcrent.

Table 4. ElTect of seed orientation on total grorvthr of Red Mexican beans

(48 hours pregermilatiun treatment-72 hours germination)
PR E GERMINATION TREATMENTS
MEANS FOR
ORIENTATION RELATIVE TO INTRODUCED MAGNETIC FIELD
GERMINATION
CHECK .ICROPYLAF EilI iICROTLAR ETD MICROPYLAR END TREAIMENTS
EAST OR WESI SOUTH NORTH

MICrcPYLAR END
t22 32 208 4.4
EAST OR WEST B

)>...6 ,ICROPYLAR ETD 4 o z5 90 t3?

=? ;=; SOUTH a
frH E::
o- -pB .ICROPYLAR ilO t8
NOflTH
E
4E t5 7 56 266 2

IEANS FOR
PREGEFXINATIOT TREATME NTS 2.8 t?5 3,8
D D D c

LTotal length (mm) of visible grou,th in 72 hours.

Means underuritten by same letter are not significantly difierent,

Source Significance St
Pregermination orientation 1% 0.6
Germination ori:ntation 1% 0.s
Prcgerm. X gcrm. ori-'ntation N.S.
Si 7a : 3.27
Can. J. Plant Sci. Downloaded from pubs.aic.ca by 189.228.31.153 on 04/19/15

Pr,ern I
For personal use only.

Flc. 2. Grorvth (72 hours) of corn seed follorving pregermination exposure in an intro-
duced magnetic field. (Left, 2.10-hour exposure; right, check.)
Can. J. Plant Sci. Downloaded from pubs.aic.ca by 189.228.31.153 on 04/19/15
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 November 19651 PITTTMA\--IIAGNETISM AND PLANT GROIVTH. III 553

12 hours earlier on such 'north-oriented'seeds than on those oriented in other

directions. Seeds that prior to germination were exposed with their proximal
ends oriented toward the north pole of the magnet for 48 or 96 hours grew
more (P > 0.01) thanseeds orien'ted otherwise, iegardless of orientation driring
germination (Tables 1 and 2). Ffowever, when the pregermination exposure
in the magnet was extended to 192 hours (Table 3), orienting the prorimal
end of the corn to'ivard either the north or the south pole of the magnet re-
sulted in about equal amounts of grorvth during germination. In all cases seeds
that were e*posed with their loig axes at rifhl angles to the main magnetic
flux before germination grew no better than those that were not exPosed to
the introduced magnetic field. Likewise, these 'cross-oriented' seeds were
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usually as late to sho'w visible signs of germination as were the controls.

Regardless of pregermination orientation. corn seeds that were oriented
with their proximal ends tou'ard the north geomagnetic pole during germina-
tion generally produced longer growth (P > 0.01) than those oriented in other
directions. Total length of growth on corn seeds that were exposed to the
introduced magnet for 192 hours was less affected by pregermination treatment
than when the exposure time vras 48 or 96 hours. There was slightly less
growth on all corri that had been exposed for 48 hours (Table 1) tlian bn ail
other corn (Tables 2 and 3) because slightly less moisture was present during
germination.
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The growth response of Red Mexican beans (Table 4) erposed for 48 hours
to an introduced magnetic field \\'as very similar to that of Wheatland corn
exposed for 48 hours (Table 1).

Duration of Exposure Test

The average amount of gro'ir.th \\:as greater (P > 0.01) on corn seeds that were
exposed to the magnet before germination than on control seeds (Fig. 1).

Table 5' T-test valuesu;l paired exposedr

sl:$1."t:g$t3."iT"o,"rint9ividual

Exposure period, I Level of

hr value cidriF

0 24 0.43 D.N.S.
0 48 3.68
0 7) 2.52
0 96 4.20
0 120 1 .90 D.N.S.
0 144 5.2r
0 168 4..).)
0 192 1 .68 D.N.S.
0 276 2.54
0 240 J. l.)
0 264 2.41
0 288 3.36
0 312 t.4+ D.N.S,
0 336 3.77
0 360 1.78 D.N.S.
0 384 1 .60 D.N.S.
lExposed to an introduced magnetic field.
zottawa hybrid SC 7275-Br-44-10-63.
+,xxSignificant at- 5/6 and 1 % leye.ls, respectively.
 554 CA.N-C.DI.{N .IOURNAL oF PLANT SCIE\CE lVol. 45

There was no significant difference in the amount of srowth on the control

or unexposed seids (Fig. r) although the tests \r,ere c;nducted over 80 days
from January 24, 1961, to April 13, 1961. Individual paired samples reacted
differently to the magnetic stimuli, depending on the duration of pregermina-
tion exposure to the magnet (Table 5). Seeds that were exposed to the
introduced magnetic field for 240 hours just before germination grew more
(P > 0.01) than those exposed for other periods (Figs. l and 2). The total
length of grorvth on seeds that l.ere exposed to the introduced magnetic field
for" 144 oi Zle hours rvas scarcelv less'than on seeds exposed for"24} hours.
There was a tendenc\- for gro$-th to be greatest on seeds that were exposed
to the introduced magneri; field for +8:14+,240, and 336 hours pribr to
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germination, therebv producing a 96-hour cyclic growth response.

rhese tests connrm ."itT,t:;:"',""),t:X A:):::;itff..

speed or germination
and seedling grorvth of some plants are affected by magnetic stimuli.
Growth rate of \,Vheatland corn and of Red Mexican beans was increased
by pregermination exposure and by seed orientation during exposure of their
normal drv seeds to an introduced magnetic field. Similarlv, orientation during
germination of the seeds in relation io the horizontal component of the geo--
magnetic field affected growth during the first 72 hours. The growth response
to the magnetic stimuli appeared to be accumulative when the proximal (corn)
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or micropylar (beans) ends of the seeds were oriented toward the north pole
of the magnet prior to germination and tov'ard the north geomagnedc Fole
during germination. This suggests a translocation of a growth factor or sub-
stance within the seed. It may also suggest an activation or deactivation of
a growth factor or enzyme system within the grorving point similar to that
proposed by Boe and Salunke (1).
The tendency for corn to exhibit a 96-hour cyclic growth response, viz.,
maximal grorvth following pregermination exposure for 48-, 144-, 240-, and
360-hour intervals, suggests a progressive synthesis of a growth factor over 48
hours follor'ved bv a breakdorvn or conversion over the next 48 hours. A
similar cyclic sroivth pattern was observed earlier in Kharkov winter wheat
(9). Betause iontroi seeds failed to exhibit a similar cyclic growth response
although they were gro\\rn simultaneously under identical conditions, it is
unlikely that the cvclic pattern observed in the treated seeds can be attributed
to or associated wiih natural cyclic or diurnal phenomena. Furthermore. since
the seeds used were stored in darkness before the experiment and treatment
was initiated at intervals that did not correspond to tlie normal diurnal light-
dark cycle, the observed gro\\'th response is probabli- not an ordinary circatian
rhythm. These results and those of Kimball (3) indicate that growth response
to magnetic stimuli is dependent on duration of exposure to the applied stimuli.
The difference in response by corn seeds subjected to a pregermination ex-
posure of 192 hours (Tables 3 and 5) mav have been associated with the
difference in sermination temperatures. which ucre 28oC in thc orientation test
(Table 3) and 25"C in the duiation of exposure test (Table 5).
The growth response observed in these experiments was probably endo-
genous and dependent on temperature and magnetic stimulation for mani-
Iestatron.
 November 19651 PITTMA\--\{AGNETISI,I AND PI,ANT GROWTH. III )l)

REFERENCES
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15s.
7. Nauneru, P. W. and Bnnr-rsrn, Ilanrna. 1964. Biological rhythms. Science, 146,
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For personal use only.