New approach to pre-sowing seed treatment: the effect of low temperature and microwave exposure on the yield of winter wheat

Abstract

Introduction. Increasing crop yields while maintaining ecological balance is largely determined by improving pre-sowing seed treatment methods, which makes this area of research particularly significant. Of special interest is the improvement of the method using microwave radiation in order to realize its full potential.
Aim. To determine the effect of pre-sowing treatment of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seeds by sequential exposure to cooling to –70°C and microwave radiation on its yield under field experiment conditions.
Materials and Methods. The research was conducted in 2023–2025 in Rostov Oblast, Russia. Short-term cooling of seeds to –70°C was applied, followed by heating with microwave radiation at a frequency of 2450 MHz to temperatures of 40, 50, and 60°C. The results were compared with treatments involving only microwave heating to 40, 50, and 60°C and with seed treatment (control).
Results. Combined microwave and cold exposure provides an increase in biological wheat yield by 9.8–19.0% compared to the control (fungicide treatment). The maximum yield of 9.62 t/ha was achieved when seeds were heated to 50°C after freezing. The use of microwave heating without prior freezing was ineffective. The positive effect was achieved due to an increase in the number of productive tillers (by 9.6–14.3%), productive tillering capacity (by 3.7–21.7%), and clean grain weight (by 9.6–15.2%).
Conclusion. Sequential exposure of seeds to cold and microwave radiation is synergistic in nature: cooling activates cytokinin synthesis, while microwave radiation stimulates metabolism. The obtained results confirm the promise of physical methods as an environmentally safe alternative to chemical methods of pre-sowing seed treatment.

To cite: Pakhomov V.I., Braginets A.V., Bakhchevnikov O.N., Maksak D.A. New approach to pre-sowing seed treatment: the effect of low temperature and microwave exposure on the yield of winter wheat. Agrarian Bulletin of the North Caucasus. 2026;16(2):43-56. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31279/2949-4796-2026-16-2-43-56