Changes in Agricultural Performance of Common Buckwheat Induced by Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma and Electromagnetic Field

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pre-sowing seed treatment with cold plasma (CP) and an electromagnetic field (EMF) on the agricultural performance of two cultivars of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench)—‘VB Vokiai’ and ‘VB Nojai’. For this, the effects of CP and EMF on seed germination, plant growth in the field, photosynthetic efficiency, biomass production, seed yield, and the amount of secondary metabolites and minerals in the harvested seeds were estimated. Although the percentage of seedlings that emerged under field conditions decreased by 11–20%, seed treatments strongly improved buckwheat growth and yield. Irrespective of differences in the dynamics of changes in the growth and photosynthetic activity between the two cultivars, the weight of seeds collected per plant for both cultivars was significantly higher (up to 70–97%) compared to the control. The biochemical composition of the harvested seeds (Fe, Zn, quercetin content) was also altered by seed treatments. Thus, pre-sowing treatment of buckwheat seeds with CP and EMF substantially stimulated plant growth in the field, increased biomass production, seed yield and nutritional quality. The results obtained strongly support the idea that plant seed treatment with physical stressors has great potential for use in agriculture.