Effect of pulsed magnetic field on seed borne pathogen and germination of tomato

Abstract

Effect of Pulsed Magnetic Field (PMF) treatment on the control of Alternaria solani (Ellis and Martin) Jones and Grout causing Early blight of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivar PKM 1 was studied. The seeds pre-inoculated with A. solani were 1500nT PMF treated with frequency of 10 Hz for 5 h for varied durations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days. PMF treatment significantly reduced pathogen incidence and increased both germination and plant growth in comparison with the control. Experimental results indicated that all the treatments were significantly different and the seeds treated for 20 and 25 days showed the minimum percent disease incidence (71%) with highest percent disease inhibition over control (29%). It also recorded the highest plant biometrics viz., germination (81%), speed of germination (7.74), root length (13.37 cm), shoot length (6.45 cm) and vigour index (1606). Control recorded the minimum plant biometrics viz., germination (61%), speed of germination (7.27), root length (12.92 cm), shoot length (6.17 cm) and vigour index (1164).