Abstract
In view of the ever-growing human population and global environmental crisis, new technologies are emerging in all fields of our life. In the last two decades, the development of cold plasma (CP) technology has offered a promising and environmentally friendly solution for addressing global food security problems. Besides many positive effects, such as promoting seed germination, plant growth, and development, CP can also serve as a surface sterilizing agent. It can be considered a method for decontamination of microorganisms on the seed surface alternative to the traditional use of fungicides. This review covers basics of CP technology and its application in seed decontamination. As this is a relatively young field of research, the data are scarce and hard to compare due to various plasma setups and parameters. On the other hand, the rapidly growing research field offers opportunities for novel findings and applications.
Highlights
IntroductionPublisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
cold plasma (CP) technology could be a successful tool for improving seed quality by promoting germination and surface decontamination for seeds and grains
CP is a prominent method for seed treatment, especially the atmospheric pressure (AP) CP systems, as they do not require large vacuum chambers and provide in-line batch processing of grain
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Some fungi produce toxic substances, such as mycotoxins, with aflatoxins (produced by the genus Aspergillus) being the most toxic [7,8] For this reason, it is essential to protect crops, seeds, and their food products from rot and/or pests [5]. It has been found that plasma treatment causes microbial inactivation, thereby suppressing the growth of bacterial and fungal pathogens responsible for various plant diseases [4,5,6,23,24,25,26] In this perspective, CP technology could be a successful tool for improving seed quality by promoting germination and surface decontamination for seeds (plant embryonic structure for reproduction; in agriculture used for sowing and plant breeding) and grains (plant seeds used as a food source for human or animal consumption). The main focus is on fungal seed decontamination, covering most studies performed up to date, with concluding remarks focused on the requirements for further research in the field
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