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Biology and Biotechnology of Environmental Stress Tolerance in Plants, Volume 3

by promoting growth (Efthimiadou et al., 2014; Mahajan & Pandey, 2014;

Menegatti et al., 2019). However, contradictory results of growth inhibition

have also been reported under exposure of MF (Abdolmaleki et al., 2007;

Ijaz et al., 2012). The benefit of using MF in improving germination rates has

been ascribed as the possible increase in membrane permeability that results

in faster water absorption by seed (Reina & Pascual, 2001). Few studies also

suggest that MF would influence water and nutrient absorption, and thereby

promote the growth of plants (Hilal et al., 2002; Maheshwari & Grewal,

2009). Along with improving germination rates, pre-sowing exposure of

seeds to MF would bring about several positive effects including increased

cell proliferation potential that lead to rapid plant growth (Cakmak et al.,

2010). Pre-treating seeds with a magnetic field (MF) shows increased plant

production, and also the negative effects of environmental extremities on

plant growth and development have been lowered (Kataria & Jain, 2019;

Prajapati et al., 2020; Sarraf et al., 2020). The impacts of magnetic stimulus

on seeds under saline stress using static MF have been described by Thomas

et al. (2013); and Kataria et al. (2017a). Seed pre-magnetization with a static

magnetic field (SMF) has also been revealed to minimize the damaging effects

of various stresses, i.e., heat (Ružič & Jerman, 2002), salinity (Thomas et al.,

2013), ambient UV-B (Kataria et al., 2020), and cadmium (Chen et al., 2011).

Apart from improving seed germination and seedling vigor, many studies

also indicate that MF would not only enhance photosynthetic pigments, light

energy absorption or photosystem II (PSII) efficiency, photosynthesis rate

rather eliminate the negative impacts of various environmental stresses in

soybean (Baghel et al., 2016; Kataria et al., 2017a, b, 2019). Furthermore,

Mahajan & Pandey (2014) have concluded that the seed priming technique

with the use of a magnetic field would be a feasible option to avoid agri­

cultural pests and diseases, and thereby reduce the use of insecticides and

pesticides in agriculture. MF has also been reported to increase the activity

of antioxidant enzymes like peroxidase (POX), polyphenol oxidase (PPO),

superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) within plant cells, and

these ROS scavenging enzymes can minimize the oxidative damage caused

by free radical ions (Dhawi, 2014; Maffei, 2014; Vian et al., 2016). Though

the application of EMFs would also trigger oxidative stress in the plant

(Shabrangi & Majd, 2009). As a consequence of oxidative stress, high-

energy electrons are shifted to molecular oxygen to generate reactive oxygen

species (ROS); for example, singlet oxygen, superoxide ions, and peroxides.

Thus, despite delivering several beneficial impacts on the plant, the reports

on the negative effects of MF cannot be overlooked. The harmful effects of