The Effects of Red Clover Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma and Electromagnetic Field on Germination and Seedling Growth Are Dependent on Seed Color

Anatolii Ivankov,Zita Nauciene,Laima Degutyte-Fomins,Rasa Zukiene,Irina Filatova,Veronika Lyushkevich,Vida Mildaziene

doi:10.3390/app11104676

Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the effects of cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic field (EMF) treatment of red clover (Trifolium pratense) seeds with different coat colors on germination kinetics, the content of seed phytohormones, and the growth of seedlings. Seeds of red clover cultivar ‘Arimaiciai’ were treated with radio-frequency EMF or capacitively coupled low-pressure CP for different durations. There were no differences in germination kinetics between yellow, brown, and dark purple seeds in control, but the germination rate of seeds treated with CP and EMF depended on seed color: The germination of yellow seeds was stimulated stronger compared to dark purple and brown seeds, and EMF did not stimulate germination in brown seeds. The content of phytohormones in control seeds and the shift in their amount induced by seed treatments were also strongly dependent on seed color. No relationship was found between the effect on germination kinetics and changes in phytohormone levels. In the control, seedlings growing from the yellow seeds were heavier, and the number of root nodules was 12.5 times larger compared to seedlings of dark purple seeds. Seed treatments with CP and EMF significantly increased the number of root nodules, and this effect was stronger in seedlings from dark purple seeds compared to those from yellow seeds.

Highlights

At present, little is known about impact of natural seed heteromorphism on the effects of seed treatments with cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic fields (EMF) such information is of importance for the development of the reliable agrobiotechnologies based on plasma and EMF effects
Since germination and growth of red clover can be strongly stimulated by pre-sowing seed treatment with CP and EMF [16], in this study we aimed to compare the effects of such seed treatments on the germination of red clover seeds separated into three colors: bright yellow, dark purple, and brown
We have reported recently that CP and EMF treatments stimulate growth of red clover roots and nodulation [32], and in this study the effects on nodulation were compared in seedlings from yellow and dark purple seeds grown in rhizoboxes for 5 weeks

Summary

Introduction

Introduction iationsEffects of pre-sowing seed treatments with physical stressors, such as non-thermal or cold plasma (CP) and electromagnetic fields (EMF), are under intensive investigation due to their potential as innovative technologies applied in sustainable agriculture [1,2,3,4,5,6].It has been reported that such treatments can improve the agricultural performance of various crops, including stimulating germination and seedling growth [7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16], and increasing seed yield [11,13] and disease and stress resistance [8,13,14]. Differences in physiological (e.g., germination) traits and plant growth. Seed development is not temporally uniform in any given population, even when plants are grown in identical environments [18]. Seed heteromorphism is considered as an adaptive plant strategy because seed morphs differ in their ecological behavior and such differences are favorable for survival of populations helping the plants cope with spatio-temporal variability of habitats (in contrast, seed uniformity is valued in agriculture). It has been demonstrated that the ability to germinate differs within a population of seeds heterogeneous by size, shape, weight, or color [18]. At present, little is known about impact of natural seed heteromorphism on the effects of seed treatments with CP and EMF such information is of importance for the development of the reliable agrobiotechnologies based on plasma and EMF effects

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Results