BIOPLASMAS & PLASMAS WITH LIQUIDS - Joint Conference of COST ACTIONS TD1208 “Electrical discharges with liquids for future
applications” & MP1101 Biomedical Applications of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Technology, Bertinoro, Italy, 13th-17th September 2015
Effects of plasma treatment on germination of seeds of endemic and
commercial plants
K. Spasić1, N. Puač1, S. Živković2, G. Malović1 and Z.Lj. Petrović1
1
Institute of Physics, University of Belgrade, Pregrevica 118, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stankovic´”, University of Belgrade, Bulevar
despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
2
In the recent years the diversity of plasma applications in biology and medicine have increased enormously due
to the development of the new field of plasma medicine. This is also closely related to the development of nonequilibrium atmospheric pressure plasma devices. However, the predecessors of the plasma interactions with
biological samples are, actually, the treatments of biological systems by using non-equilibrium low pressure
plasma. Low temperature plasma pre-sowing seeds treatment is ecologically safe, cheap and effective method
for improvement of seed germination and their resistance to stress and diseases. In our laboratory we have
developed low pressure asymmetric CCP RF plasma systems that were previously used in treatments of
Empress Tree seeds and of seeds of commercial crops [1-4]. It was shown that plasma has a twofold role, one
in the sterilization of seeds and one in the improving the percentage of germination.
In this paper we will present results obtained by using non-equilibrium low pressure plasma for treatments of
seeds of Nepeta rtanjensis, endemic and critically endangered perennial in Serbia, and of commercial pea seeds
(Pisum sativum). The Nepeta rtanjensis seeds were chosen due to the fact that the germination percentage of this
seeds is quite low and the process of germination is quite long (~month). In case of P. sativum seeds germination
process is fast and usually finishes in the matter of few days. Therefore, in order to see the influence of plasma
treatment on pea seeds in more detail we have tracked the dynamics of germination. Seeds were treated in air
plasma at the pressure of 300 mTorr, with RF power supplied at 100 W for 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20 min. For both
types of seeds the highest increase in germination percentage was obtained for shorter treatment times (1-5
min). The tracking of the germination dynamics of pea seeds showed that plasma can also enables faster
development of seedlings and therefore the plant itself.
[1] S. Živković, N. Puač, Z. Giba, D. Grubišić and Z.LJ. Petrović, Seed Sci. Techn. 32 (2004) 693-701.
[2] N. Puač, Z.Lj. Petrović, M. Radetić and A. Đorđević, Mat. Sci. Forum 494 (2005) 291-296.
[3] N. Puač, Z.Lj. Petrović, S. Živković, Z. Giba, D. Grubišić and A.R. Ðorđević, In Plasma Process. Polym., Eds.
R. d'Agostino, P. Favia, C. Oehr and M.R. Wertheimer, Whiley (2005) 193-203.
[3] I. Filatova, V. Azharonok, V. Lushkevich, A. Zhukovsky, G. Gadzhieva, K. Spasić, S. Živković, N. Puač, S.
Lazović, G. Malović and Z .Lj. Petrović, 31st ICPIG, July 14-19, 2013, Granada, Spain (2013) 127-2.