Enhancing grain yield, oil content, fatty acid composition and changes in antioxidant properties of Camelina sativa L. using Wi-Fi radiation.

Exposure to electromagnetic radiation (ER) in the radio frequency is one of the most common and rapidly growing environmental factors affecting human. Therefore, given the increasing global growth of telecommunication towers and Wi-Fi waves, understanding the potential of positive or negative effects of Wi-Fi electromagnetic waves (WEW) on the quality and quantity parameters of plants is essential. An experiment was carried out during the years 2020-2021 at the Research Farm of Tarbiat Modares University to investigate the effect of WEW on grain yield, fatty acid composition (FA), oil content, and antioxidant properties of camelina. Seeds were subjected to Wi-Fi electromagnetic radiation at distances of 15 cm (ER15) and 25 cm (ER25) from the modem for 24 h. The results showed that electromagnetic waves significantly affected grain yield, increasing it by approximately 23.45%. Additionally, the amount of oil and protein, crucial components of camelina seeds, exhibited a respective increase of 6.91% and decrease of 2.9% under Wi-Fi radiation conditions. Total tocopherol decreased by 6.39%, while ß-T remained unaffected by Wi-Fi radiation. Furthermore, the quantity of sterols (brassicasterol, cholesterol, and campesterol) decreased significantly due to Wi-Fi radiation. Based on the fatty acid profile responses, the maximum content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (SPUFA) was obtained in ER15 treatment, representing an increase of approximately 1.62%. Consequently, these waves resulted in a decrease in saturated fatty acids (SSFA) and erucic acid, thereby increasing the quality of camelina oil. In conclusion, WEW pretreatment has potential to increase grain yield, oil percentage, and quality of camelina oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]