Effect of Microwave Radiation on Bacteria, Fungi and Some Growth Characteristics of Cowpea Vigna unguiculata L.

In this study, an experiment was conducted to describe the effects of using microwaves and chemical fertilization (isolated and combined) on the number of bacteria and fungi in the soil and on the growth of cowpea plants Vigna unguiculata L. Several times of exposure to microwave radiation (0, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45 s) and several concentrations of chemical fertilizer NPK (0, 0.9, 1.8 g 3 kg(-1) soil) were carried out. After individual and combined treatments, experiments were carried out to quantify microorganisms (bacteria and fungi). In addition, 45 days after planting, analyzes were made of the cowpea plants for their development under different experimental conditions. The experiment was conducted in plastic pots to find out some characteristics of plant growth. The results indicated that the microwave sterilization resulted in the complete killing of bacteria and fungi and the fertilizer additive (NPK) to the soil had a critical role in increasing the values significantly for the number of root nodes and the remaining plant growth characteristics measured in this study.