Abstract
Maize grains (Zea mays convar. Indentata Sturt.) were treated with non-thermal plasma, where Gliding Arc plasma discharge at an atmospheric pressure was used (working gas: Air; time duration: 0 s, 180 s, 300 s, 600 s). The experiment was conducted at a temperature of 18 °C, light/dark 12/12 h, and a light intensity of 100 µmol/m2s. Seed germination, seedling growth, photosynthetic parameters, and hormone (abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, indole-3-acetic acid, and cytokinin) contents were measured. The highest stimulation of seed germination (to 141%), root length (to 221%), shoot length (to 298%), and root weight (to 122%) in comparison with the control was recorded after Gliding Arc plasma treatment for 600 s. The photochemical and non-photochemical Chl fluorescence parameters were not significantly affected by Gliding Arc plasma treatment. In contrast, hormonal pools in maize were significantly affected. The short-term plasma treatment (180 s) was associated with a decrease in the stress hormones abscisic acid, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, and jasmonate isoleucine, while indole-3-acetic acid and cytokinin precursors were elevated. Longer-term treatment (300 s, 600 s) had an opposite effect—an elevation of abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and jasmonate isoleucine as well as active cytokinins. The content of auxin decreased. Gliding plasma treatment may significantly affect maize physiology, dependent on the treatment duration.
Highlights
Non-thermal plasma (NTP) can promote chemical reactions at a lower operating temperature range and can be used in various biological, medicinal, agronomical, food, and forestry applications [1]
Gliding Arc plasma treatments for 180 s, 300 s, and 600 s exhibited positive effects on seed germination, which increased on the fourth day by 19%, 31%, and 41%, respectively, in relation to the control
Root and shoot lengths were elevated most after Gliding Arc plasma treatment with a duration of 600 s; the lengths of the roots on the fourth and sixth days increased by 121% and 30%, respectively, while the lengths of the shoots on the fourth and sixth days increased by 198% and 26%, respectively, compared to the control
Summary
Non-thermal plasma (NTP) can promote chemical reactions at a lower operating temperature range and can be used in various biological, medicinal, agronomical, food, and forestry applications [1]. NTP belongs to alternative (unconventional) biotechnological methods in plant agriculture and the food industry [2,3]. Plasma is a charged gas with strong electrostatic interactions consisting of neutral and excited atoms, free radicals, negative and positive ions, and UV photons with a net electric charge of zero [4]. NTP treatment has the ability to prompt the seed germination rate, decrease surface infection, and impede the growth of pathogens. Seed treatment with specific plasma triggers specific biochemical changes and induces positive physical changes in the seed, enhancing the germination rate
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