Enhancement of seed germination of Daucus carota sativus L. by non‐thermal plasma treatment

Abstract

One of the innovative and successful approaches for early seed sprouting, and development in an agricultural area is the utilization of non-thermal plasma therapy. In this work, the surface of carrot (Daucus carota sativus L.) seeds was directly treated with low-temperature plasma. Line frequency was used to produce dielectric barrier discharge at an applied ac voltage of 14.87 kV. Carrot seeds were treated under the produced discharge for 1-4 min employing an argon gas flow rate of 2 L/min. Various growth parameters and seed germination properties had been assessed for both untreated and plasma-exposed seeds. Parameters such as final germination percentage, mean germination rate, coefficient of the velocity of germination, germination index, length of root and shoot, fresh weight, diameter, and the number of leaves were found to be increased in plasma-treated seeds. Results from the experiment indicate an increment in vigour index I and vigour index II after plasma treatment. Similarly, significant mass loss and increased water absorption were both observed in the plasma-treated seeds. The study of the results demonstrates that exposing seeds to plasma can be an effective method for the early growth of carrots.