Innovative treatment of tomato and bell pepper seeds using 'activated' water with non-thermal discharges for the improvement of germination and plant development

Abstract

The application of plasmas in agriculture (through the use of non-thermal discharges) is an emerging and rapidly growing field of application. In the last years, the application of plasma-activated water has shown promising results in terms of increased germination percentage, seed and food decontamination, and stimulation of plant growth rate. In this work, the physicochemical results of plasma-activated water are shown, with a view to its use as a fertilizer and as a crop disinfectant. In particular, a non-thermal glow discharge at atmospheric pressure with a water cathode was used. The volume of water treated was 1 liter, while the maximum exposure time to the plasma reached 1 h. In particular, pH, electrical conductivity, and aqueous phase concentrations of NO₃^¯, NO₂^¯ y H₂O₂. are reported.