Effect of stimulating Magnetic field on Plants

Effect of stimulating magnetic field on plants

R.V.K. Charan

Department of Physics, Gaya College, Gaya, Bihar, India - 823001

E-mail- rvkcharan@rediffmail.com

Short Note

          A plant's metabolism contains 90-95% of water which is a diamagnetic compound and the rest contains several para, ferro & diamagnetic metals and non-metals in minute forms. So, if a plant is placed in an oscillatory magnetic field the para & ferro-magnetics oscillate in their magnetic moment  along the field by tracing the hysteresis curve according  to Currie & Wiess Law1 where as the dia-magnetics oscillate opposing the field in perpendicular direction by obeying the dehass-Van Alphan theory2. But, the para & ferro oscillate with temporary magnetisation i.e. the magnetic retentivity i.e. not freely where as dia-magnetics  oscillate without any such magnetic retentivity i.e. quite freely. Thus, the dia-magnetics which form 90-95% of the plant constituent dominate in the oscillation with the result that the water dependent action gets excited. Thus, the rate of ascent of sap increases which creats the plant pulsation.  Now, if the oscillating magnetic field is made stimulatory then the plant's pulse rate increases abruptly.

          An experiment3 was done with a mesophytic plant by keeping it in an electromagnetic solenoid with an arrangement to oscillate and stimulate its magnetic field at any desired (low) frequency where as a similar plant was kept outside  as comparing . In the circuit arrangement the oscillatory square pulsating field was made stimulating by breaking the continuous oscillatory  field as damped i.e. rising to peak and receding abruptly. The frequency of the oscillation was set at 40 C/S and the total magnitude of the magnetic field, as given, was 178.93 oersteds. Out of this magnitude, 91.99 oersteds was the oscillating where as 5.19 remained constant in the first phase. Due to this the para & ferro magnetics get permanent magnetic retentivity or residual magnetism whereas the dia-magnetics do not retain any magnetic retentivity, as stated above. Such stimulatory magnetic field was applied for 45minutes. It has been observed with the help of a CRO that the plant's pulse rate, at first, increases in the oscillation but then rises abruptly due to the stimulation .  At the same time the other comparing plant remains same for long even after lapse of the 45 minutes. The rise in the pulse rate is obviously due to stimulatory magnatic effect on the dia-magnetic water.  It has been further observed that the pulsating curve remained almost same in the different region of the cortex. It has been also observed that if the experimental plant is taken out from its soil i.e. no soil remains to the root and placed under the stimulatory magnetic field, then due to the high pulse-rate chlorophyll synthesis stops after about an hour with increasing of xanthophyll synthesis, resulting in finally wilting of the leaves after getting yellowed. This is certainly because of non-availability of water for pulsation.

Inference : From the above result it can be inferred that  if plant is placed in a stimulating magnetic field the rise of their pulse rate may enhance their growth without use of any fertilizers or any chemicals which affects the natural vitamins and carbohydrates essential for the mankind, if the plant is for human consumption. A correlation can be established in between the plant pulsation and the applied field.

References :

1. J.B. Rajam, Atomic Physics, 7th Edition, 1984, P-71
2. Sexena, Gupta & Sexena, Solid State Physics, 15th Edition, 1966, P-595
3. Charan R.V.K. Effect of Oscillating Magnetic field on plants, Ind. J. Theo. Phy, Kolkata, India, Vol. 57, 2009

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