Research interest into the exposure of plants to magnetic fields (MF), including electromagnetic fields (EMF), has increased recently but results often vary depending on factors such as plant species and treatment dose. In this study, we exposed young (one year) and old (four years) field bean (Vicia faba L. (partim)) seeds to EMF (50 Hz, 7 mT) and observed seed germination and seedling growth under different conditions (growth media and light). The results indicated a stimulation by EMF of germination and early root growth of Petri dish-sown old seeds in continuous darkness and inhibition of germination of the pot-sown young seeds under long-day conditions. Root growth of two-week-old seedlings from pot-sown young seeds was stimulated by EMF treatment while their stem growth was inhibited. Some selected biochemical traits were examined, showing specific changes in membrane integrity, amylase activity, H₂O₂ levels, photosynthetic pigments, and content of the main groups of phytohormones, depending on seed age. The results indicate that priming of field bean seeds with EMF (50 Hz, 7 mT) could be a eustress factor that influences germination, early growth, and cellular activities and could positively influence the ability of field bean plants to grow and develop in more stressful conditions at later stages.

Ferula communis, native to the Mediterranean, is a highly polymorphic species with ambiguous morphological and chemical boundaries. Molecular evidence has revealed close relationships with morphologically similar species from Africa and the Mediterranean islands, supporting their inclusion within the subgenus Ferula. Traditionally valued for its aromatic oleo-gum-resins, F. communis shares a longstanding historical significance with related taxa. To provide a genomic foundation for understanding its evolutionary relationships and characteristics, we assembled the plastid genome of F. communis using GetOrganelle and NOVOPlasty from Illumina whole genome sequence reads. The resulting 166,696 bp genome exhibits the typical quadripartite structure of angiosperm plastomes (LSC: 85,349 bp, SSC: 17,685 bp, IRs: 31,831 bp each) and contains 133 unique functional genes (88 protein-coding, 37 tRNAs, 8 rRNAs). Comparative genomic analysis within Ferula showed high conservation, highlighting minor variation in the IRb/SSC boundary and identifying seven highly variable intergenic spacer regions. Beyond broad genomic comparisons, we also identified 217 simple sequence repeats (SSRs), predominantly in the LSC region, and found evidence of strong positive selection in five protein-coding genes (ccsA, ndhD, ndhF, petD, and rpl32) using BEB and LRT tests. The resulting phylogenetic analysis strongly supports the placement of F. communis immediately after the subgenus Sinoferula, consistent with recent infrageneric classifications based on combined nuclear and plastid markers.