ALTERATION OF ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS IN SEEDS OF MEDICINAL HERBS UNDER HIGH FREQUENCY IRRADIATION EXPOSURE
The paper describes the process of changing the electrical properties of wheat seeds exposed to high-frequency electromagnetic irradiation. It has been proven that temperature is one of the factors influencing the consequences of pre-sowing seed treatment. It has been found out that along with heating, some other physical processes occur in the seed structure at the level of cell membranes and intramembranous transport. The transformation of protein structures, the polarization of cell membranes, and intensification of metabolic processes under the exposure to high-frequency irradiation can lead to an alteration in the electrical properties of seeds and, as a consequence, to an effect on the physiological state, similarity and growth energy of plants. The result of the action of a high-frequency electromagnetic field on the seeds depends on the electrical characteristics of the seeds. A physical and mathematical model of the electrical properties of biological seed tissue has been proposed. According to this model the cells are regarded as parallelepipeds of particular sizes surrounded by external cellular membranes, which, in turn, are surrounded by intercellular substance. This substance is characterized by considerable electrical conductivity. The interior of the cell is also characterized by high conductivity. The cell membrane is characterized by complex resistance having active and capacitive components. The change in the passive electrical characteristics of seeds exposed to high-frequency electromagnetic field has been theoretically grounded and supported by the experiments. This study has also demonstrated changes in the dielectric permeability of seeds, their complex and active resistance, polarization coefficient, and dielectric loss tangent as a result of electromagnetic stimulation. It is noteworthy that the seeds cannot be represented as a uniform dielectric in which only one of the known types of polarization (electronic, dipole, space-charge) occurs. The seed includes biological membranes, the state of which significantly affects the electrical properties. The degree of polarization of the membranes in a certain way changes due to the exposure of any external stimuli. It has been established that an increase in the complex resistance of the biological tissue, an increase in the polarization of cell membranes indicates an intensification of metabolic processes and, as a result, stimulates the process of seed germination and rapid vegetation in the early stages of plant development.