Abstract
Agricultural productivity is increasingly challenged by environmental stressors and the limitations of conventional chemical fertilizers. Recent scientific inquiries have explored the potential of "Biofield Energy Treatments" as a sustainable alternative to enhance plant physiology. Spiritual Blessing Energy Treatment (SBET) represents a specific modality of biofield energy that is hypothesized to influence the corn morphology and yield through subtle energy interactions. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of SBET on the growth and yield parameters of Zea mays L. (maize/corn) under normal environmental conditions. A randomized controlled trial was conducted where healthy Zea mays L. seeds were divided into two groups: a control corn group (CONCORG) and a SBET treatment corn group (BTCORNG). The treatment group received SBET from a recognized energy practitioner, while the control group remained untreated. Both groups were cultivated using identical soil composition, irrigation schedules, and light exposure. Key parameters such as germination rate, morphological characteristics, and yield attributes were measured. Various morphological traits were improved in the BTCORG compared to the CONCORG. There was a substantial increase in the stem diameter and number of leaves per plant by 43.84% (p ≤ 0.001) and 57.64% (p ≤ 0.001), respectively for the BTCORG compared to the CONCORG. Yield components like ear diameter, number of kernels per plant, and number of kernels per row were significantly increased by 33.40% (p ≤ 0.001), 114.75% (p ≤ 0.001), and 55.12%, respectively in the BTCORG compared to the CONCORG. Further, total grain and straw yields per hectare were increased by 123.13% and 68.05%, respectively, in the BTCORG compared to the CONCORG. Results suggest that SBET-treated Zea mays L. exhibited a statistically significant increase in various vegetative and yield-related corn parameters. Further molecular studies are required to elucidate the specific mechanism of energy transfer.
Keywords: non-chemical treatment, growth enhancers, spiritual blessing, corn farming, prayer, morphology, phenology, yield