Magnetic seed enhancement has been practicing as a promising tool to improve germination and seedling growth of low vigor seeds stored under suboptimal conditions, but there is still ambiguity regarding the prospects for magnetism in oilseeds. Present study elucidates the potential of magnetic seed stimulation to improve sunflower germination, growth and yield. Germination and emergence tests were performed to optimize the strength of the magnetic field to sunflower seed enhancement. The seeds were directly exposed to magnetic field strengths of 50, 100 and 150 millitesla (mT) for 5, 10 and 15 min (min) and then standard germination tests were performed. Secondly, the emergence potential of untreated seeds was compared with seed exposed to hydropriming, priming with 3% moringa leaf extract (MLE), priming with magnetically treated water (MTW) for 10 min and priming with 3% MLE solution prepared in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE). Germination, emergence, seedling growth and seed biochemical properties were used to select the best treatment for field evaluation. The results of the study revealed that magnetic seed treatment with 100 mT for 10 min and seed priming with 3% MLE solution in magnetically treated water (MTW + MLE) significantly improved emergence, crop growth rate and sunflower yield.

Department of Agriculture Hazara University Mansehra 21120 Pakistan

Department of Agronomy Kafrelsheikh University Kafr Elshiekh 33516 Egypt

Department of Agronomy University of Agriculture Faisalabad 38040 Pakistan

Department of Biochemistry University of Agriculture Faisalabad 38040 Pakistan

Department of Biology College of Science Taif University P O Box 11099 Taif 21944 Saudi Arabia

Department of Botany and Plant Physiology Faculty of Agrobiology Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamycka 129 165 00 Prague Czech Republic

Department of Physics University of Agriculture Faisalabad 38040 Pakistan

Department of Plant Physiology Slovak University of Agriculture Tr A Hlinku 2 949 01 Nitra Slovakia

Department of Sociology PMAS Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi 46300 Pakistan

Department of Sustainable Agriculture and Herbology Slovak University of Agriculture 949 01 Nitra Slovakia

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