Effect of cold atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on germination, growth, and surface properties of pea seeds: A scalability and energy efficiency analysis of DCSBD plasma systems
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2026 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | INNOVATIVE FOOD SCIENCE & EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1466856425004692 |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2025.104385 |
| Keywords | Cold atmospheric pressure plasma; Germination; DCSBD; Seed surface diagnostics; Scalability; Energy efficiency; Seed treatment |
| Description | The increasing demand for environmentally friendly plasma-based technologies for agricultural applications requires reliable and scalable plasma sources, suitable for enhancing seed germination, improving plant growth parameters, and boosting seeds resistance. In this study, we present a comparative analysis to evaluate the scalability of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) sources. Two plasma sources were employed: a standard Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge (DCSBD) system and a prototype reactor integrating two DCSBD panels. Specifically, we investigated the effects of CAPP, generated in ambient air at atmospheric pressure, on the germination and early growth of pea seeds (Pisum sativum L. var. Saxon) with natural (90 %) and reduced (50 %) germination. Treatments of 10, 20, and 30 s were applied, and their effect was evaluated using different physiological parameters, including imbibition rate, germination, seed and seedling vitality indexes. DNA damage in the seedlings was also examined to assess the potential genotoxicity of the plasma treatments. Additionally, the surface changes induced by plasma were characterized by contact angle measurements (to assess wettability), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyse changes in surface chemistry. An energy efficiency evaluation of both plasma sources was also performed. The results demonstrate that the dual-panel DCSBD configuration maintains homogeneous plasma characteristics, achieves comparable surface modification, and retains comparable biological efficacy to the standard configuration, while allowing uniform treatment of a higher amount of seeds and up-scaled operation. This study provides insights into the optimization and scale-up of DCSBD-based plasma sources for future use in sustainable agricultural technologies. |
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