PJB-2018-1803
Effect of microwave radiation on plants infected with root rot pathogens
Shamsa Kanwal, Marium Tariq and Shahnaz Dawar
Abstract
Microwaves are non-ionizing radiations known to stimulate seed germination and growth. A complete randomized design screen house experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of microwave radiation on fungal survival and plant growth.Seeds of mash bean (Vigna mungo L.), chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) were irradiated with microwave radiations for 10, 20, 30 and 40 seconds. We demonstrated that exposure of seeds to microwave radiations for 20 and 30 seconds significantly suppressed root rot fungi like Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goid, Rhizoctonia solani (kühn) and Fusarium spp. We also showed that by exposing seeds to radiations for 10 and 30 seconds the growth of chickpea, sunflower and mash bean plants was increased. These data collectively demonstrate that microwave radiations can potentially control fungal pathogens and thereby improve plant health
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