Effect Of Magnetizing Water And Seeds On The Production Of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus L.) Under Cooled Plastic Tunnels

Abstract

Very recently magnetizing technology systems have been used to magnetize irrigation water and seeds. Such magnetized treatments were reported to play a great role in increasing the germination rate, crop stand and reclaiming saline soils, consequently resulting in increasing yield. The experimental work was carried out in one of the cooled plastic tunnels of the Date Palm Technology Co. (DATECHO), Shambat, during the summer season (May-August) of 2005. The study was aimed at improving vegetable crop productivity by using magnetic technologies. A split plot experimental design was used for growing cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). The treatments were as follows: a) Magnetized water + Magnetized seeds. b) Magnetized water + Non-magnetized seeds. c) Non-magnetized water + Magnetized seeds. d) Non-magnetized water + Non-magnetized seeds. Each treatment was replicated three times. The crop growth and yield attributes were: germination rate (%), number of leaves per plant, days to 50% flowering, plant height (cm), yield (kg/m2) and (number of fruits/m2), fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm) and leaves dry matter (%). The results of the study showed significant differences (P =603; 0.05) in the germination rate (87.9%), number of leaves per plant (74.4), days to 50% flowering (33), plant height (380.3 cm), yield (6.1 kg/m2) and average fruit diameter (3.0 cm) when magnetized water was used as compared to non-magnetized water, which gave (77.2%) germination rate, (60.3) leaves per plant, (35.2) days to 50% flowering, (337.9 cm) plant height, (4.0 kg/m2) yield and (2.9 cm) average fruit diameter. On the other hand, there were significant differences (P =603; 0.05) in days to 50% flowering (33.3 days), yield (5.5 kg/ m2), yield (34.8 number of fruits/m2), average fruit diameter (3.0 cm), average fruit length (15.2 cm) and germination rate (84.5 %) when magnetized seeds were used as compared to non-magnetized seeds, which gave (80.6%) germination rate, (34.8) days to 50% flowering, (4.7 kg /m2 ) and (28.9 number of fruits/m2) yield, (2.8 cm) average fruits diameter and (14.2 cm) average fruit length. There was a significant difference (P =603; 0.05) in the germination rate (91.5 %) due to the interaction of magnetized water and magnetized seeds as compared to the interaction of non-magnetized water and non-magnetized seeds, which gave (80.6%) germination rate. Hence, it was concluded that magnetizing irrigation water would increase crop production and productivity, and further improvement could be attained by magnetizing the seeds.