INFLUENCE OF CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO AN ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD ON GERMINATION AND EARLY GROWTH OF<i>QUERCUS SUBER</i>SEEDS: PRELIMINARY STUDY

Abstract

Cork oak acorns were chronically exposed to a 50-Hz, 15-μT electromagnetic field generated in a Helmholtz coil system for 13 weeks. The extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field increased the sprouting rate but did not modify the final percentage of germination and sprouting after a 13-week period. The significant increase in growth parameters of seedlings, such as main shoot length, axillary shoot formation, and fresh and dry weights of the emerged shoots, showed that electromagnetic stimulus was beneficial in increasing the biomass of Quercus suber seedlings.