In-situ plasma treatment of tomato and rice seeds in-liquid to promote seed germination and seedling growth

Abstract

We propose an in-liquid plasma technique—Solution Plasma (SP)—to help enhance seed germination. Tomato and rice seeds are selected as representatives for dicot and monocot plant seeds, respectively. The effect of SP treatment time on the seed surface's chemical morphology and wettability is investigated. Compared to the untreated seeds, surface erosion of both seeds is observed. The surface wettability is also enhanced. The SP helps improve the seed germination rate and seedling growth of both seeds. We present the effect of plasma on seed germination in the aspect that SP can degrade polysaccharides—the main constituent of the seed coat. The formation of reactive oxygen species during treatment is supposed to be another reason for better seed germination.