Root System Architecture Characterization of Short Duration Magnetoprimed Lettuce Seeds through Helmholtz Coil Using SmartRoot

Magnetopriming has emerged as a promising agricultural technique to enhance seed quality and germination efficiency. However, a research gap exists regarding the effects of short duration magnetopriming on dry lettuce seeds and their root system architecture (RSA) during germination. Existing literature primarily focuses on general impacts of magnetopriming on germination and plant growth. This study addresses these gaps by conducting a preliminary analysis to discern the effects of short duration magnetopriming on dry lettuce seed quality and RSA changes throughout germination. Leveraging image processing techniques and SmartRoot for precision, RSA traits such as root and branching lengths were measured to determine how they change with improved effects of magnetopriming on seed germination rate and vigor index. A Helmholtz coil exposed 30 dry lettuce seeds to a magnetic field intensity of 98.5 mT for 1, 3, and 5 minutes, while the control treatment was unexposed. The 1-minute treated seedlings displayed decreased lateral root lengths associated with declined germination rate and seed vigor index. The 3-minute treated seedlings had the highest primary root length and lateral root numbers, making it a prime candidate for crop stand. Although showing the best seed quality, the 5-minute treated seedlings exhibited the shortest primary root length and lowest lateral root numbers, potentially impacting crop stand strength. This suggests that magnetopriming influences both root architecture and composition, necessitating further analysis to ascertain the balance between improved seed quality and crop stand resilience.