Biological and Agricultural Studies on Application of Dischage Plasma and Electromagnetic Fields. Effects of Electric Fields, Air Ion and Corona Discharge on Plants.

Abstract

This paper briefly reviews the effects of electric fields, air ions, and corona discharge on plants. From the middle of the eighteenth century, electric fields and air ions have been applied to plants both in the field and under laboratory conditions. Although many studies have reported beneficial effects, the results have been inconsistent, and the electrical conditions leading to definite benefits cannot so far be predicted. High electric fields have been reported to damage plants by flowing the induced currents caused by corona discharge from the tips. Since the investigations have been continued, the results have been controversial and contradictory. There remains no firm theory governing electrophysiology in plants.