Application of the Impedance Measurement Method to Evaluate the Results of Winter Grafting of Pear Cuttings Using Cold Plasma

Abstract

Electroimpedance spectroscopy technology can be used to accelerate the healing of complete trees and estimate the plant condition after grafting. This approach will allow sorting out low-vigor plants at the early stages of their development to save time and resources. Still, in some cases, the use of electrical impedance spectroscopy can be difficult due to the complexity of the equipment and special measurement conditions. In this paper, we attempt to overcome this limitation by suggesting a compact device developed in-house that is usable even in the field. Pear (Pyrus communis L.) Otradnenskaya was used as the object of this study. We assessed the treatment effect of the scion–rootstock interface with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) and plasma-treated solution (PTS) on the survival of the grafts. The dependence of the impedance of the complete grafted tree on the signal frequency and the length of the measuring section was analyzed. It is shown that the treatment of the scion and rootstock with CAP and PTS promotes the fusion of scion and rootstock. The impedance value in the control was on average 24–35% higher than in plants treated with CAP and PTS, which indicates a better healing process of the grafting site. This can be an indication of better quality of the planting material which can be obtained much earlier than with the conventional approach (monitoring the plants in a nursery).