Electromagnetic Irradiation Induced Residual Physiological Effects in Gram Plant

Abstract

Plants growing in open environment are exposed to uninterrupted electromagnetic radiation. In general, plant tissues are capable of absorbing significant amount of incident electromagnetic energy because of high permittivity and loss tangent. Over the last decade, electromagnetic energy absorption rates in terms of 'Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)' have been quantified for a number of fruits, flowers and plant models. However, one-time controlled electromagnetic irradiation induced residual physiological plant responses have rarely been reported in literature. Hence, this article aims at investigating the residual physiological effects of one-time (2 hours 30 minutes) controlled electromagnetic radiation at 2.45 GHz on 24 days old gram plant enzyme activities, chlorophyll contents, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, lipid peroxidation and cell death. Gram seeds and subsequently germinated plants have been chosen for this investigation because of easy availability and viable germination at any season round the year in Indian climate condition. Targeted gram plants have been exposed to 2 hours 30 minutes long controlled electromagnetic irradiation at 2.45 GHz at the age of 14 days after germination inside an anechoic chamber. Next, those target gram plants have been grown without further electromagnetic exposure for an incubation period of 10 days in parallel, control gram plants have also been grown in an electromagnetic quiet zone. Obtained results indicate irradiation induced residual physiological stress conditions in gram plant with respect to control samplescellular damage through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, reduced concentrations of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b along with enhanced plant defense signaling mechanism.