The biological effect of the electrical field treatment on the potato seed: agronomic evaluation

The intense electrostatic fields, particularly the pulse shaped ones, can affect the biological systems, either directly or indirectly, through several mechanisms. The field induces the translation and rotation movements of the electric charges and dipoles subjected to complex limit conditions. The chemical reaction rates, the molecular binding forces, the protein molecule shape and structure can also be modified. This paper deals with and discusses: the electrical field treatment method for the seed potato and the physiological, biochemical and biological results obtained in the field. In order to study the effects of the seed material treatment on the potato culture, field experiments were carried out by planting the treated tubers from four species (ROCLAS, ROMANO, SANTE and DESIREE) in different variants. The experiments were made according to the experimental norms, in three repetitions, with the repetition plot size of 28.125 m2. Observations were made dynamically by gathering the potato plants at five different ages within the vegetation period, on which occasion individual measurements were carried out for the determination of the growth and development rate of the potato plants, on the different treated variants, on each species and at each repetition. The measurements referred to the number and length of the main stems, as well as to the formation and growth of the tubers in the potato holes.