ON MECHANISMS OF LOW-FREQUENCY MAGNETIC-F IELD ACTION ON THE INITIAL-STAGES OF GERMINATION IN WHEAT SEEDS

A short-term treatment of imbibed wheat seeds with low-frequency magne tic held accelerated the transition of enzymes from bound to the activ e state and promoted the release of seeds from dormancy. The magnetic field treatment was efficient with seeds ongoing the stage of esterase release, but the efficiency of treatment declined at later stages of seed inhibition. in some experiments, the magnetic held treatment acce lerated the occurrence of the pH shift that developed in germinating s eeds near the embryo. In old seeds, the peak esterase activity was ach ived later than in high-quality seeds. The magnetic field treatment of old seeds either did not affect or diminished the leakage of esterase -produced substances; this phenomenon was interpreted as due to restor ing the barrier properties of cell membranes after magnetic field trea tment. This view is consistent with the lack of microflora in the magn etic field treated old seed samples; in untreated samples, by contrast , microorganisms grow abundantly owing to organic susbstances leaking from old seeds. The magnetic field treatment increased markedly the ge rmination frequency and accelerated the germination process in old see ds.