Electrical Discharge Plasma for Seed Priming of Green Oak Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

This paper evaluates the use of gliding-arc plasma priming compared to hydropriming and osmopriming for enhancing the germination of green oak seeds. The results showed that plasma priming is an effective method for improving the germination of green oak seeds without causing harm, and it resulted in the most uniform and consistent germination. The average germination of all treated seeds is 80%, proving that neither direct plasma priming nor indirect plasma priming hinders the germination of green oak seeds. On the other hand, plasma treatment was also found to accelerate the germination of green oak seeds compared to other techniques. They provide the highest levels of uniform germination, taking only ~5 hours for 25-75% of the total number of seeds to germinate. The average germination time for seeds treated with direct and indirect plasma priming is faster than in other conditions. Specifically, it takes around 50 hrs compared to ~ 60 hrs for control, hydropriming, and osmopriming treatments. The germination-promoting effects of plasma treatment are likely due to the interaction of ions and free radicals with the seed surface, leading to surface modification and potentially acting as signaling molecules during germination. Overall, this study suggests that plasma priming is a promising approach for enhancing the germination of green oak seeds.