engleski

LOW PRESSURE DBD PLASMA TREATMENT OF SEEDS

There are many pathways by which gas discharges can influence biological objects. Due to high concentration of chemical radicals these discharges have bactericidal effect causing the reduction of pathogenic species on the surface of treated objects. Besides affecting bacteria, the radicals can graft to the surface of the treated samples thereby changing its properties. These changes are mostly notable in the wettability of the exposed surfaces. Also, the cold gas discharges usually involve diverse chemical species and microscopic electric fields. Both of these can interfere with biological signalling processes inside and between the exposed cells leading to altered cell behaviour, for example supressing the organism growth. Exposure of samples to the cold plasma can be either direct or indirect ; direct exposure being immersion of the samples into the plasma itself, while indirect involving some kind of a media which is first exposed to the discharge and then brought into contact with the sample. As the medium different substances can be used, however, the water is usually used since in terms of food production it is cheap and non-toxic. This kind of plasma activated water (PAW) can be readily used in hydroponics and vertical growth. Here are presented results of treating the seeds of parlsey (Petroselinum crispum) using low pressure helium, oxygen and nitrogen cold plasma discharge. The samples have been treated at a low pressure for different treatment times. The plasma has been generated using a power source with a nominal power of 6 W (2.5 kV, 25 kHz). Acknowledgement: This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation under the project #2753.

plasma agriculture, germination, Parlsey

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