Root response to magnetostatic field

Magnetostatic stimuli were fairly applied to the tip of seminal roots of Ma ize and the response was observed. At 72 hours after sowing, the test semin al roots with almost equal length of 60 mm started to be exposed to seven l evels of magnetic field strength, 0.5, 1.6, 5, 16, 50, 160 and 500-G (Gauss ) in magnetic flux density, during 48 hours. Start-up drops and rapid recov ering in elongation rate clearly appeared to occur for all test roots, and the recovering elongation rates reached about ten times as high as controls . Within 6 hours after the exposure-on to magnetic filed, the high increase s in elongation rate of test roots relaxed and decreased to the almost same value of controls. Stimuli by exposure-off of magnetic field induced no si gnificant variations in a rate of root elongation. Copyright (C) 1998 IFAC.