Vigor Of Seeds Research Articles

Effect of seed soaking with Brassinolide on the vitality and vigor of Sorghum seed cultivars

A laboratory experiment was conducted at the Seed Technology Laboratory of the Department of Field Crops - College of Agriculture - the University of Anbar with the goal of To study the effect of seed soaking with the growth regulator brassinolide on the viability and vigor of seeds of cultivars sorghum, using a Complete Random Design (CRD). The first factor was soaking the seeds with the growth regulator brassinolide at concentrations of (200, 400, and 600) mg L-1 in addition to the control treatment (soaking with distilled water only) for the laboratory experiment with four repetitions. The second factor was three maize varieties White (Inqath, Rabah, and Lilo). The experiment results revealed that the stimulus treatment with brassinolide growth regulator at a concentration of 600 mg L-1 was significantly superior, with the highest averages for most of the studied traits, including germination speed (73.33 percent), standard laboratory germination rate (94.43 %), root length (16.08 cm), and feather length (15.36 cm). Besides, seedling strength (2968.2) and dry weight (0.0545 mg) in comparison to the control treatment (soaking in distilled water only), which had the lowest averages for the parameters evaluated. In terms of cultivars, the cultivar outperformed the rest of the cultivars in most of the measured attributes, with the highest standards. The cultivar was a Rabah in terms of germination speed (67.72 percent), germination percentage (87.67 %), stalk length (13.21 cm), gesture strength (2371.1), and dry weight (0.0513). Mg). The Inqath cultivar excelled in root length, recording the greatest average of (13.90 cm). The results revealed a significant effect of the interaction between the study parameters in most of the analyzed qualities. Based on the findings of this study. It can be concluded that stimulating the seeds with the growth regulator brassinolide generally resulted in an increase and improvement of all evaluated features, which reflected positively on seed viability and vigor. Keywords: Sorghum bicolor, growth regulator, seedling viability.

Sequential plantations of rice, edamame soybeans, and peanuts as a product of alternative and mineral fertilization in the Roraima Cerrado in Brazil

The objective of this study was to determine the production of sequential rice, soybean, and peanut plantations as a function of mineral and alternative fertilization. To meet the objectives of the work, three independent experiments were carried out in the Experimental Field of Embrapa in Brazil. The first experiment was with rice BRS Sertaneja, conducted in the period from May to September in two agricultural years (2009 and 2010), with the purpose of evaluating the yield, germination, and vigour of BRS Sertaneja rice seeds as a function of mineral and alternative fertilization. The second experiment was performed with soybeans BRS 258 and the strain BR9452273, which were evaluated in the period from October to January in two years (2009/2010 and 2010/2011), to determine the agronomic attributes of green grain production (R6 stage). In the third experiment, BRS 151 L-7 (red) and 184 AM L-7 (cream) peanut crops were cultivated from February to April in two years (2010 and 2011), to determine the yield of pods and grains, weight of 100 pods, weight of 100 seeds, weight of husks, weight in seeds of 100 pods, relative grain yield in relation to pods (RR, %), and grain yield. Intermediate fertilization is indicated to increase the yield of peanut pods and grains BRS 151 L-7 and 184 AM L-7 in the highlands of the Roraima Cerrado in Brazil.

Effect of priming on enhancing storability of high and low vigour brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) seeds

The present study was on brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) seeds var. Punjab Nagina. The quality of brinjal seeds in terms of vigour and viability severely declines due to natural ageing during storage between harvesting and the next sowing season. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of various priming treatments on the quality and storability of brinjal seeds. The freshly harvested seed was divided into two lots. One of these seed lots was subjected to accelerated ageing to obtain low vigour seed and the other lot was considered to be high vigour. The high and low vigour seeds were primed with KNO3 (1%), GA3 (100ppm), KH2PO4 (0.1M), PEG 6000 (30%) and H2O, respectively for 12 hours at 25oC. The seeds were stored in moisture-impervious bags for 12 months in a refrigerator (4oC). The objective was to observe whether the priming treatments improve the seed vigour and retain the advantages obtained during storage. The seeds were drawn at three monthly intervals, viz., zero, three, six, nine and twelve months of storage to study germination percentage, speed of germination, mean days to germination, seedling length, root length, shoot length, seedling dry weight and seedling aand vigour index. With an increase in storage duration, a decline in the physiological aspect of seed quality was observed in both high and low vigour seeds. All the priming treatments improved the germination-related parameters in both high and low vigour seeds over control but the extent of improvement varied. Seed priming with GA3 (100ppm) and KNO3 (1%) were the best treatments for both high and low vigour seeds, even after storage for 12 months.

Conservação de sementes das cactáceas endêmicas da caatinga Pilosocereus pachycladus e Tacinga inamoena

ABSTRACT Ecosystems with dry soils are particularly sensitive to climate changes and anthropogenic actions, which represents a threat to the survival of many cactus species. Ex situ seed conservation strategies should be adopted to support in situ conservation. This study evaluated the effect of conservation conditions on germination and vigor of seeds of Pilosocereus pachycladus subsp. pernambucoensis and Tacinga inamoena. The seeds were packaged in paper bags and glass containers and stored under controlled (8 ± 1 °C; 56 ± 2% relative humidity) and non-controlled (24 ± 2 °C; 75 ± 5% relative humidity) environmental conditions for 0 (control), 12, 16, and 20 months. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, in a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial arrangement (conservation environment × packaging × storage period) for each species. The variables evaluated were: water content (%), germination (%), germination speed index (GSI), and mean germination time (MGT). The physiological quality of seeds of both species were preserved when seeds were maintained under controlled environment, regardless of the packaging. However, when stored under non-controlled environment, the packaging in paper bags was more efficient for the conservation of seeds of P. pachycladus subsp. pernambucoensis, and the glass container was more efficient for T. inamoena. This information may be needed for ex situ conservation of these species and to support the recovery of degraded areas susceptible to desertification in the Caatinga biome.

Seed Coating with Biodegradable Stickers for Enhancement of Inoculant Viability and Their Beneficial Properties on Seed Germination of Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper.

Background: This study assessed the effect of different sticking agents viz., gum arabic, guar gum and xanthan gum for coating Rhizobium sp. and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on seed germination and vigour of blackgram seeds. Methods: The surface sterilised seeds were first coated with different sticking agents as per the following treatments, T0 - Dry seed, T1 - Water, T2 - Gum arabic 20% w/v, T3 - Guar gum 0.5% w/v, T4 - Xanthan gum 0.3% w/v followed by coating with Rhizobium sp. and AMF liquid cultures. Result: Among the different sticking agents, gum arabic (20%) when used as a sticker for coating Rhizobium sp. and AMF, increased the seed germination (95%) and vigour index (21.85) of blackgram compared to the control. The efficacy of inoculation depended on the survival of inoculants on seeds. On using sticking agents, the survival of microbes could be extended up to 48 h of treatment and 87 per cent AMF colonization with gum arabic (20%) as deduced from the viability studies.

Hyperspectral and imagery integrated analysis for vegetable seed vigor detection

Seed vigor is a primary determinant of seed quality. Since the traditional methods detecting the seed vigor are time-consuming and costly, hyperspectral imaging technology in this study was used to develop a method that was rapid and nondestructive to detect the vigor of vegetable seeds. Hyperspectral images of two kinds of vegetable seeds, broad beans and hyacinth beans, were collected by measuring spectral reflectance from 400 to 1000 nm. The raw spectral data were first preprocessed with Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing and multiplicative scatter correction (MSC). And then, principal component analysis (PCA) and uninformative variable elimination (UVE) were carried out to select optimal wavelengths, and image features were also extracted simultaneously from RGB image that combined the central wavelengths at 660, 560 and 480 nm. Finally, support vector machines (SVM) and random forest (RF) model were employed to build the classification models based on spectral data, image data and the integrated data from both spectral and image data. The results showed that the SVM model had better classification performance and its accuracy achieved 83 to 91 %, when the spectral data were selected through UVE and combined with the image data. An integration of both spectral data and image data can improve the accuracy of the model compared to those used alone.

Physiological Alterations and Nondestructive Test Methods of Crop Seed Vigor: A Comprehensive Review

Seed vigor is one of the essential contents of agricultural research. The decline of seed vigor is described as an inevitable process. Recent studies have shown that the oxidative damage caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the main reason for the destruction of various chemicals in seeds and eventually evolves into seed death. The traditional vigor tests, such as the seed germination test and TTC staining, are commonly used to assess seed vigor. However, these methods often need a large number of experimental samples, which will bring a waste of seed resources. At present, many new methods that are fast and nondestructive to seeds, such as vibrational spectroscopic techniques, have been used to test seed vigor and have achieved convincing results. This paper is aimed at analyzing the microchanges of seed-vigor decline, summarizing the performance of current seed-vigor test methods, and hoping to provide a new idea for the nondestructive testing of a single seed vigor by combining the physiological alterations of seeds with chemometrics algorithms.

Effect of the Application of Biofertilizer Goatish as a Biostimulant on Germination Canavalia Ensiformis L.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of goatish biofertilizer as an alternative biostimulant on the germination and vigor of pork bean seeds. Theoretical framework: The availability of complementary nutrients via seeds promotes germination and vigor, since they are fundamental factors for the good development of production. Therefore, the use of alternative technologies as a biostimulant promote better formation and development of the plant. Methodology: The research was carried out at the Seed Technology Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraíba. A completely randomized design was used, with treatments at different concentrations of goat biofertilizer, namely: 0% (control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%, where they were immersed for 10 minutes. The substrate used was Germiteste paper, where 30 jack bean seeds were distributed and stored at a temperature of 30 °C for 12 hours of light. The variables analyzed were: germination speed index, germination, primary root length, hypocotyl length, width and length of cotyledons and green and dry mass of the variables mentioned above. Results and conclusion: The application of the concentration of 50 and 75% proved to be efficient in the seed germination process and germination speed index. The 25% concentration of goat biofertilizer provided better performance in the morphological characteristics of jack bean seeds. Research implications: The main contributions of the study are in the sense of demonstrating a different methodology as an alternative biostimulant in the germination and vigor of seeds, which can contribute to researchers and family farmers in overcoming seed dormancy, as well as increasing plant growth and development. Originality/value: This study proposes to evaluate the biofertilizer as a biostimulant in the germination and vigor of jack bean seeds as an alternative for taking advantage of the organic residue.

Nano-Organic Coatings Improve Early Vigor of Brassica napus L. Seeds in Water Deficit

Low emergence and vigor of canola seeds are common problems encountered by canola growers. Seed coating is a good way to solve this problem. The objective of this study was to find the best combination of nano-organic to be used as a coating for seeds for strengthening the absorption of water and emergence seed of low vigor canola. The treatments in the first experiment included six levels of organic coatings: 20% vermicompost with 80% bentonite, 30% vermicompost with 70% bentonite, 40% vermicompost with 60% bentonite, 40% residues of canola with 60% bentonite, 30% residues of canola with 70% bentonite, and 20% resides of canola with 80% bentonite. The results indicated that 20% residues of canola and 20% vermicompost had the highest moisture under the saturation conditions and kept moisture for a longer time. Subsequently, the factors of the second experiment included three levels of water stress (100, 75, and 50% field capacity (FC)), three levels of seed coating (control, vermicompost, and canola residues), and three levels of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (0, 0.5, and 1 mM). The results showed that nano-organic coating improved emergence percentage and seedling traits while increasing superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase activities and decreasing electrolyte leakage. The highest ratios for emergence percentage (74.67), seedling vigor index (264.58), and leaf area (418) were obtained at the highest level of nano-titanium (1 mM). The highest rates of superoxide dismutase (53.44), peroxidase (30.68), catalase (5.35), chlorophyll content (51.05), and lowest electrolyte leakage (42.39) were observed in the highest level of nano-titanium (1 mM). Based on the results, we suggest the use of rapeseed residues with nano titanium oxide for rapeseed coating. The use of nanoparticles in current seed coatings is useful for reducing stresses in the germination and emergence stages.

Ultrafine Bubbles Water priming to improve viability and vigor of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) seeds

Priming is a physiological technique of hydration of seed to improve metabolic processes before germination to accelerate germination and seedling growth under normal and stress conditions. This research is aimed to study the pretreatment using ultra-fine bubble (UFB) water to increase viability and vigor of seeds before planting (pre-planting) and during storage (pre-storage). This research was conducted at the Laboratory of Seed Quality Testing, IPB University, Indonesia. The research consisted of two experiments, i.e., UFB water priming to increase viability and vigor of bean seeds and its storability after priming. The first experiment was arranged using a completely randomized design with a combination of seed lot treatments (L1: initial germination percentage (GP) about 80%, L2: initial GP around 70%, and L3: initial GP around 60%) with priming (P0: no priming/control, P1: soaked in distilled water for 60 minutes, P2: distilled water for 120 minutes, P3: 8 ppm UFB water for 60 minutes, P4: 8 ppm UFB water for 120 minutes, P5: 20 ppm UFB water for 60 minutes, P6: UFB water 20 ppm for 120 minutes). The second experiment was arranged using a nested design with the main factor being the condition of the storage room and priming as the second factor nested in the main factor. The storage room condition factors consisted of KM: room conditions (temperature 28±5˚C, RH 73±7%) and AC: air-conditioned room (18±2 ̊C, RH 61±7%). The priming factor consisted of two levels, namely P0: without priming and P1: priming with 20 ppm UFB water soaked for 120 minutes. The results showed that priming treatment with UFB water 20 ppm for 120 minutes as a pre-planting treatment can increase the viability of bean seeds, particularly for seeds with low initial viability, and primed bean seeds with an initial viability of approximately 80% were able to retain their viability for 16 weeks of storage in an air-conditioned room.

Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improve Germination and Bioactive Compounds in Cucumber Seedlings

Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) increase the germination percentage and the vigor of seeds, thus determining aspects for the efficient production of seedlings and the prompt establishment of crops in the field. In this study, the effect of the biopriming of rhizobacteria was evaluated: Bacillus cereus (KBEndo4P6), Acinetobacter radioresistens (KBEndo3P1), Pseudomonas paralactis (KBEndo6P7), and Sinorhizobium meliloti (KBEkto9P6) on some parameters such as the percentage of germination and vigor and the germination index, among others, as well as the synthesis of phytocompounds in the seeds of Cucumis sativus L. biopriming seeds significantly improved germination, the germination index, the vigor, the plumule and the radicle length, in addition to an increase in phytochemical compounds. The rhizobacteria KBEndo3P1 increased the germination percentage by 20%, the germination index by 50%, and the seed vigor by 60%, as well as the length of the radicle by 11%, and the plumule by 48% compared to the control, and the total phenols and antioxidants increased by 9% and 29%, respectively. Biopriming with plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria increases germination, which allows for the possibility of more outstanding production of seedlings and a greater length of the radicle, thus increasing the efficiency in the processes of water and nutrient absorption and improving its establishment in the field. In addition, the production of phytocompounds enhances their response against any type of stress, making them a viable alternative in sustainable agriculture to increase cucumber yield.

Germination and Vigor of Soybean and Corn Seeds Treated with Mixed Mineral Fertilizers

The use of mixed mineral fertilizers consisting of macro- and micronutrients, which are already routinely used for leaf fertilization, in the treatment of corn and soybean seeds would positively influence germination and vigor, consequently improving growth and seedling development. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological potential of corn and soybean seeds treated with mixed mineral fertilizers. The seed treatment efficiency test with mixed mineral fertilizers was conducted at the Federal University of Jataí-UFJ-using Vital®, Lança®, Ídolo®, Massivo®, and their combinations. The treatments consisted of two controls for soybean and three for corn. Analysis of variance was performed using the F-test (p ≤ 0.05), and when there was significance, the means were compared using the Scott-Knott test (p ≤ 0.05). The mixed mineral fertilizers Vital® + Massivo® (T6), Lança® + Ídolo® (T7), and Vital® + Lança® + Ídolo® (T10) used in the seed treatment benefit the development of soybean (NS7667 IPRO) seeds. The treatments for corn (MG744 PWU) had little effect on germination and seedling development. The use of mixed mineral fertilizers in the seed treatments did not affect the physiological potential of the soybean and corn seeds, keeping the lots with germination values within commercialization standards.

Physiological quality of oat seeds produced by plants treated with mesotrione or tembotrione

Selective herbicides may cause plant stresses as a result of changes in plant physiology or seed formation and development processes, thus affecting the quality of seeds. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of application of increasing doses of mesotrione or tembotrione on the physiological quality of white oat seeds from different cultivars. It is a field experiment carried out in two crop years (2019 and 2020), in a split split-plot randomized block design. The main plots consisted of the cultivars: FAEM 007, IPR Afrodite, UPFA Fuerza and URS Monarca. The subplots were mesotrione and tembotrione; and sub-subplots were doses of each herbicide: 0x;1/4x; 1/2x, 1x and 2 x (x= recommended commercial doses for maize, equivalent to 168.0 g a.i. ha-1 for mesotrione and 88.2 g a.i. ha-1 for tembotrione). Seed germination was 1% lower after application of the 2x dose of the herbicides, compared with control, i.e., there was a slight reduction in the germination of seeds produced in 2019. There was a significant effect of cultivar on germination and vigor. The cultivar UPFA Fuerza showed better performance than the other cultivars, with 96% germination index (GI) and 94% accelerated aging (AA) in 2019, while the best performance in 2020 was achieved by URS Monarca, with 98% GI and 97% AA. It was concluded that the oat seeds had high physiological quality in all treatments tested. The germination and vigor of oat seeds depended on the genotype being used, especially UPFA Fuerza (2019) and URS Monarca (2020), but they were not affected by the herbicides and doses tested

Classification of lentil seed vigor based on seedling image analysis techniques and interactive machine learning

Abstract: The search for techniques that allow for the rapid and accurate assessment of seed vigor, such as the Seedling Analysis System (SAPL®) and ILASTIK®, can be promising alternatives for seedling image analysis. The objective of this work was to classify the vigor of lentil seeds using seedling image analysis techniques and interactive machine learning. Seeds from seven lots were characterized for physiological potential through germination and vigor tests. For computerized seedling analysis, the seeds were subjected to seedling growth tests at 20 °C for three, four, five, and ten days, and then photographed using a digital camera. The images were processed using SAPL® software, yielding values for total length, root length, shoot length, and vigor, growth, and uniformity indices. ILASTIK® provided data on the percentage of vigorous seedlings, non-vigorous seedlings, and dead seeds. The total length of seedlings, root length, shoot length, and vigor indices determined at 4 days of germination by SAPL® allowed for the classification of lots in terms of vigor. Data obtained by ILASTIK® at 4 days of germination, used in machine learning studies, enable the development of models with high accuracy for seed vigor assessment.

Vigor and anaerobic metabolism of soybean seeds evaluated by ethanol test

Abstract: Among the vigor tests, ethanol is an alternative that provides desirable characteristics to be applied in seed-producing companies internal quality control planning. The aim was to evaluate the vigor of soybean seeds by the ethanol test and the fermentative metabolism after its application. A completely randomized experimental design with five replications was used, with treatments consisting of 10 lots of soybean seeds, except for the variables composing the fermentative metabolism, for which five lots of soybean seeds were used. First, the initial quality of the lots was assessed by evaluating water content, germination, seedling emergence, accelerated aging, tetrazolium test (vigor), electrical conductivity, and seed respiration. For the ethanol test, the seeds were subjected to soaking times of 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes until the moment of reading, and subsequently, the fermentative metabolism was evaluated (lactate dehydrogenase - LDH, pyruvate decarboxylase - PDC, and alcohol dehydrogenase - ADH). The ethanol test in soybean seeds efficiently ranks lots into different levels of vigor, using the soaking time of 30 minutes, showing a moderate association between the electrical conductivity test and seed respiration. Furthermore, the activity of the enzymes LDH, PDC, and ADH proves that ethanol is produced during the soaking process of soybean seeds.

Physiological and biochemical analysis of peanut seeds (Arachis hypogaea) after storage using silica gel

Peanuts contain high enough nutrients, especially protein and fat. The high fat and protein content in peanut seeds causes deteriorate faster during storage. Special treatment is required to reduce the deterioration. This study aimed to analyze the physiological and biochemical responses of peanut seeds after being stored using silica gel 120 days. This research used a completely randomized design and used the Pearson correlation test. Seeds were stored with different dosages of silica gels: control, 10gr, 20gr, and 30gr. The observed variables consisted of maximum growth potential, germination percentage, vigor index, relative growth speed, growth uniformity, seed water content, fat, and protein seeds. The results showed that storage using silica gel dosage had a significant response on maximum growth potential, germination percentage, vigor index, relative growth speed, and growth uniformity. Using silica gel treatment with a dose of 30g showed better seed viability and vigor values than other treatments. Based on the results of the correlation analysis of seed protein content, there was a strong correlation in the viability and vigor of seeds.

Assessment of seed quality parameters in fruit rot infected seeds of brinjal caused by Phomopsis vexans and development of eco-friendly management for quality seed production

Phomopsis vexans is an important seed-borne pathogen and it is highly detrimental to brinjal crop. Among seventeen brinjal genotypes studied for the effect of fruit rot on the seed quality parameters using infected and healthy seeds, the germination percentage of infected seeds is relatively lower than the healthy seeds. The reduction in germination percentage of diseased seeds varied between 14 to 67%. Seed quality parameters like germination and vigour were negatively correlated and the electrical conductivity was positively correlated with fruit rot incidence. This shows that a higher incidence of pathogens will lower the viability and vigour of seeds and the infection level is also dependent on genotype and the environmental condition. The three known biocontrol agents were analyzed by using the dual culture technique for the antagonistic effect on the pathogens. The results showed that out of three biocontrol agents, Trichoderma harzianum showed maximum antagonistic effect followed by Pseudomonas fluorescence and Bacillus subtilis. Different modes of action like mycoparasitism, competition, antibiosis and production of antibiotics and secondary metabolites like harzianiol may act as inhibitors against Phomopsis vexans.

Produção, qualidade e acúmulo de nutrientes em sementes de alface com aplicação de cálcio e boro direcionada às inflorescências

ABSTRACT Calcium and boron are important nutrients in the stages of flowering, pollen germination and in the fruiting process. As these nutrients are poorly mobile in the plant, some authors recommend foliar spraying in the production of seeds of some species. The objective was to study the influence of calcium and boron, via application directed to inflorescences, in production, quality and accumulation of nutrients in lettuce seeds. Four treatments were evaluated (only calcium: 0.72 g/L; only boron: 0.17 g/L; joint application of calcium and boron and control), in randomized blocks design with six replications. No influence was obtained between the treatments for seed production (number and weight of seeds per plant). Using boron, alone or together with calcium, the weight of a thousand seeds was lower compared to control, while only calcium did not differ from the control. No differences were obtained for germination and seed vigor. The application of calcium did not affect the accumulation of nutrients, however boron application increased the accumulation of this nutrient in the seeds. The application of calcium and boron directly in the inflorescences of lettuce did not promote an increase in the production and vigor of the seeds.

Soybean seeds treated with zinc evaluated by X-ray micro-fluorescence spectroscopy

Zinc (Zn) is a micronutrient considered essential to plants which can be supplied through seed treatment. The treatment of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds with Zn, however, is still not well known as regards the uptake and mobilization dynamics of the nutrient during the germination process. This study aimed to evaluate the uptake and distribution dynamics of Zn applied to soybean seeds at two levels of vigor during germination using X-ray micro-fluorescence spectroscopy (µ-XRF). Zinc treatments corresponded to 0, 2, 4 and 8 g of Zn per kg of seeds. High and low vigor seeds that had been treated were located appropriately so as to promote germination. Zn intensity measurements with µ-XRF were taken in different parts (“regions”) of the seeds (seed coat, cotyledon, and embryonic axis) after 8, 16 and 24 h of imbibition and seedlings (primary root, hypocotyl, plumule, cotyledon, and seed coat) after 48, 72 and 96 h of germination. High vigor seeds showed higher Zn intensity in the embryonic axis in the first 16 h, while low vigor seeds showed higher intensity after 24 h. After 48, 72 and 96 h of germination low vigor seedlings showed higher Zn intensity than high vigor seedlings in the primary root. It was concluded that µ-XRF is an efficient technique for identifying variances in the dynamics of Zn uptake and mobilization during the germination of soybean seeds with different vigor levels.

Design of Non-Thermal Plasma Alfalfa Seed Vigor Enhancement Device and Study of Treatment Effect

Highlights An effective seed treatment method is provided. Three generations of field growth trials were conducted. We Investigated the effects of low-temperature plasma treatment on the biological characters and yield components. Abstract. An atmospheric pressure, low-temperature dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma seed treatment device was developed for plasma seed treatment. The device worked continuously on alfalfa seeds and evenly distributed the seeds in a plasma discharge range. The processing time, voltage amplitude, and frequency were adjustable. The device was used to study the effect of DBD plasma treatment at different voltages and times on alfalfa seed germination using untreated alfalfa seeds as the control (CK). The results showed that the DBD plasma treatment of alfalfa seeds promoted seed germination and seedling growth, and the optimal discharge conditions were a discharge voltage of 11 kV and a discharge time of 40 s. Compared with CK, the germination potential and germination rate increased by 12.49% and 18.08%, respectively. After treatment using the optimal discharge time, the germination potential, germination rate, dry weight, and seedling height increased by 9.9%, 16.1%, 15%, and 32.9%, respectively, compared with CK. The Scanning Electron Microscope images of the seed epidermis treated with 11 kV and 40 s plasma showed that the surface of alfalfa seeds was etched. Different doses of discharge radiation had different effects on physiological processes in seeds, and their sensitivity to plasma discharge was different. In a certain range, the germination rate, germination potential, fresh weight, dry weight, root length, and seedling height of alfalfa seeds improved to different degrees under different discharge voltages and times. Plasma has a good application prospect for improving the growth of alfalfa seeds. Keywords: Alfalfa, Dielectric barrier discharge plasma, Germination, Seed treatment device, Seedling growth.