A two-season field trial from Egypt’s National Research Centre testing magnetized irrigation water (via a commercial Magnetron device) on canola (Brassica napus, var. Serw-6) grown on sandy soil under sprinkler irrigation. With 4 replications per treatment and data averaged across two winter seasons (2009/10, 2010/11), this is one of the more rigorous magnetized-water field studies in the magnetoculture literature.
Vegetative growth: Magnetized irrigation increased plant height by 16.75%, fresh weight by 24.52%, and dry weight by 9.01% at 85 days after sowing (all p<0.001). Relative water content increased 1.59%, suggesting improved water uptake efficiency alongside the growth gains.
Yield and oil production: The most striking results are in yield. Seed yield increased from 502.5 to 697.0 kg/feddan (+38.70%, p<0.001). Oil yield increased even more dramatically — from 140.7 to 223.0 kg/feddan (+58.51%, p<0.001) — reflecting both higher seed yield and a shift toward higher oil content (from 28.0% to 32.0% oil per seed). This compounding effect makes magnetized water particularly interesting for oilseed crops where oil content multiplies against yield gains.
Oil quality: Beyond quantity, the fatty acid profile of the oil improved under magnetized water. Oleic acid (C18:1) increased from 13.57% to 34.10% — more than doubling — and total unsaturated fatty acids increased overall, improving the TUS/TS ratio. Higher oleic acid content is associated with better heat stability and cardiovascular health profile for edible oils.
Water use efficiency: WUE for seed production increased 38.70% (to 23.07 kg/m³), and WUE for oil 58.51% (to 7.38 kg/m³). In a water-limited sandy soil context, these gains mean substantially more output per unit of irrigation water — a practically important result for arid-region agriculture.
Photosynthesis: Magnetized water significantly increased chlorophyll a (+8.86%), chlorophyll b (+22.22%), and carotenoids (+19.71%), consistent with the widely observed magnetoculture effect on photosynthetic pigment content across species.
Mechanism: The authors attribute effects to magnetic field-induced changes in water hydrogen-bond structure (reduced surface tension, better soil penetration) and increased Ca²⁺ availability, triggering growth-promoting hormones and enzyme activation. Magnetization also slightly lowered irrigation water pH (7.25 → 7.13) and EC (0.50 → 0.40 dSm⁻¹), potentially reducing the effective salinity load in the already-stressed sandy soil environment.
Source: Hozayn M et al. Applications of magnetic technology in agriculture: A novel tool for improving crop productivity (1): Canola. African Journal of Agricultural Research 2016; 11(5): 441-449. DOI: 10.5897/AJAR2015.9382