Effects of contact glow discharge plasma and seed treatment methodology on alfalfa seed germination

Abstract

Effects of contact glow discharge plasma on the germination of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seeds and treatment processing were investigated. Firstly, the influence of contact glow discharge plasma on the germination of Medicago sativa seeds was investigated under different times, voltages, and gas atmospheres. Then, on the basis of the single-factor experiment, the seed treatment process was optimized by response surface optimization design based on the indexes of seed germination rate and vigor index. The results showed that the germination rate of treated seeds reached 93%, the content of photosynthetic pigment and the intensity of photosynthesis in the leaves increased significantly, and the net photosynthetic rate increased by 98.4% under optimized conditions of 30 min, 540 V, and N2. All results indicate that contact glow discharge plasma can promote Alfalfa seed germination and growth, and improve seed physiological activity, thereby providing a theoretical basis for further research into new seed treatment technologies.

Keywords

• contact glow discharge plasma
• alfalfa
• seed germination
• photosynthesis