Impact of Magnetized Irrigation Water Treatment on Nutrients Uptake and Water use Efficiency of Cowpea Cultivar (Vigna unguiculata L.)

Study’s Excerpt/Novelty This study investigates the effect of magnetically treated water on the nutrient uptake and water use efficiency (WUE) of the TVX-117 cowpea cultivar, utilizing a custom-designed magnetic water treatment unit. The research demonstrates that magnetized water significantly enhances nutrient absorption and WUE in cowpea plants, with a remarkable 24.7% improvement in WUE compared to 7.6% for non-treated plants, highlighting the potential for magnetic treatment to optimize irrigation practices. These findings provide new insights into agricultural water management techniques, offering a sustainable approach to improving crop performance and resource efficiency. Full Abstract The study assessed the impact of magnetically treated water on the TVX-117 cowpea cultivar for nutrient uptakes and water use efficiency. The magnetic water improved absorption and nutrient assimilations that sustained cowpea growth. A rectangular magnetic water treatment unit of 230 mm x 150 mm x 130 mm designed using a metal plate of thickness 2 mm formed an enclosure for twelve pairs of neodymium magnets (N50 grade) of dimensions 50 mm x 25 mm x 10 mm. Irrigation water was treated with a magnetic flux of 1127.4 G and a mean flow rate of 2.86 litres per minute through the device. Irrigation of treated and ordinary water was done by applying 1.43 L at a 3-day irrigation interval for a bucket experiment under a transparent polythene garden. A completely randomized design was applied, and treatments were replicated ten times for magnetized and non-magnetized irrigation treatments. Significant differences exist between initial cowpea nutrients and nutrient uptakes of the harvested Cowpea as the coefficient of determination was R2 = 0.9801; p < 0.05. The results indicated that Water Use Efficiency (WUE) for magnetized water-irrigated plants was 24.7% compared to 7.6% for control. Significant differences existed between their WUEs as the coefficient of determination value was R2 = 0.8130; p < 0.05. Magnetized water improved water use efficiency, supporting better nutrient uptakes by cowpea seeds.