Cellular and molecular effects of nanosecond electromagnetic pulses on Arabidopsis thaliana: Preliminary evidence for a novel weed control strategy
Abstract
High-amplitude electromagnetic pulses (EMP) represent a promising physical alternative for the development of non-chemical weed control strategies. In this study, we analyzed the local and systemic effects of EMP application at morphological, physiological, and molecular levels on Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. The experimental design enabled spatial dissociation between the exposed area and the rest of the plant, allowing a detailed analysis of the multi-zone EMP-induced response. EMP exposure caused rapid and irreversible cellular damage at the impact site, characterized by membrane disorganization, massive electrolyte leakage, and severe lipid peroxidation, leading to the rapid collapse of the leaf tissue. This tissue disorganization was associated with early RNA degradation, revealing loss of cellular compartmentalization and triggering rapid wilting that determines the viability of the entire leaf. In contrast, distant leaves remained morphologically intact but showed early metabolic changes. A transient accumulation of H 2 O 2 , associated with an increase in the expression of genes involved in reactive oxygen species production and signaling, reflecting a systemic response activation, however, insufficient to induce whole plant mortality when the treatment was restricted to a unique leaf. We demonstrate that the modalities of exposure are critical for achieving lethal effects: a single-site stimulation resulted in localized damage, while a multi-site exposure across several leaves induced severe systemic injury, ultimately leading to plant death or a substantial decrease in reproductive success. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of multi-site application strategies for achieving herbicidal efficacy and establish EMPs as a promising sustainable tool for weed management.
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BibTeX
@article{porcher2026cellular,
title = {{Cellular and molecular effects of nanosecond electromagnetic pulses on Arabidopsis thaliana: Preliminary evidence for a novel weed control strategy}},
author = {Alexis Porcher and Chloé Davranche and Sébastien Girard and Vincent Guérin and Nathalie Brouard and Pierre Bonnet and Françoise Paladian and Alain Vian},
journal = {Plant stress},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1016/j.stress.2026.101468},
url = {https://univ-angers.hal.science/hal-05759983v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cellular and molecular effects of nanosecond electromagnetic pulses on Arabidopsis thaliana: Preliminary evidence for a novel weed control strategy
AU - Alexis Porcher
AU - Chloé Davranche
AU - Sébastien Girard
AU - Vincent Guérin
AU - Nathalie Brouard
AU - Pierre Bonnet
AU - Françoise Paladian
AU - Alain Vian
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/03
JO - Plant stress
DO - 10.1016/j.stress.2026.101468
UR - https://univ-angers.hal.science/hal-05759983v1
AB - High-amplitude electromagnetic pulses (EMP) represent a promising physical alternative for the development of non-chemical weed control strategies. In this study, we analyzed the local and systemic effects of EMP application at morphological, physiological, and molecular levels on Arabidopsis thaliana leaves. The experimental design enabled spatial dissociation between the exposed area and the rest of the plant, allowing a detailed analysis of the multi-zone EMP-induced response. EMP exposure caused rapid and irreversible cellular damage at the impact site, characterized by membrane disorganization, massive electrolyte leakage, and severe lipid peroxidation, leading to the rapid collapse of the leaf tissue. This tissue disorganization was associated with early RNA degradation, revealing loss of cellular compartmentalization and triggering rapid wilting that determines the viability of the entire leaf. In contrast, distant leaves remained morphologically intact but showed early metabolic changes. A transient accumulation of H 2 O 2 , associated with an increase in the expression of genes involved in reactive oxygen species production and signaling, reflecting a systemic response activation, however, insufficient to induce whole plant mortality when the treatment was restricted to a unique leaf. We demonstrate that the modalities of exposure are critical for achieving lethal effects: a single-site stimulation resulted in localized damage, while a multi-site exposure across several leaves induced severe systemic injury, ultimately leading to plant death or a substantial decrease in reproductive success. Collectively, these findings highlight the importance of multi-site application strategies for achieving herbicidal efficacy and establish EMPs as a promising sustainable tool for weed management.
SN - 2667-064X
SN - 2667-064X
ER -