Welcome to Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin,

Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (10): 45-51.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2024-0419

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Cold Plasma Technology in Seed Treatment and Plant Growth: A Review

ZHAO Xinru1(), XING Congying1, YE Zifan2(), LIU Zhenzhong1(), LIANG Ke1   

  1. 1 Apple E&T Research Centre of Shaanxi Province/ College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100
    2 Power Engineering Institute, Chongqing Electric Power College, Chongqing 400053
  • Received:2024-07-27 Revised:2024-10-15 Online:2025-04-05 Published:2025-04-03

Abstract:

Cold plasma technology has gained significant traction in agriculture due to its advantages, including low operational temperature, green, residue-free, high efficiency, and remarkable effectiveness in seed treatment, as well as in activating the internal physiological and biochemical processes of plants to improve resistance and yield. This paper reviews the progress of cold plasma technology in seed disinfection, breaking seed dormancy to promote germination, enhancing plant resistance, and increasing yield, etc. Furthermore, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the primary active ingredients of this technology and elucidates their mechanisms of action at the physicochemical, physiological and biochemical levels. In view of the differences in physical, chemical and physiological effects of different treatment objects after discharge by different types of cold plasma equipment, the future research direction is proposed: optimizing and establishing cold plasma treatment system, and clarifying the long-term effect of cold plasma treatment on the phenotypic genetic changes of plant growth cycle.

Key words: cold plasma, seed treatment, stress resistance, biological effect, plasma-activated water, reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, dielectric barrier discharge