Germination rate studies of soybean under static and low-frequency magnetic fields

A Helmholtz coil was designed and characterized to study the effects of magnetic fields on the germination rate of soybeans. The coil provides a uniform field in a large area such that all the seeds are equally exposed to radiation. An in-house computer code was developed to study the field intensity, specifically the cross-sectional area of uniform field. Experimental results indicate that soybeans grown under static low intensity and super low frequency magnetic fields show improved growth and germination rates when compared to those in the control group. Soybean has potential applications as a renewable energy source for biofuels.