ASHS 2025 Conference

Seed germination may be affected by various abiotic and biotic stressors, resulting in significantly reduced crop yields and resource use efficiency, thus posing challenges to food production for the growing global population. Therefore, several studies have focused on employing diverse mechanical and chemical treatments to improve seed germination. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is an emerging technology for enhancing seed germination and plant growth. This study evaluated the effects of NTP on the germination properties of borage (Borago officinalis L.) seeds. Plasma was generated using a custom-made surface-barrier-discharge (SBD) device, operating at a frequency of 5 kHz and voltage of 1.3 kVpp. Seeds were exposed to plasma for 0.5, 1, and 2 minutes, whereas untreated seeds served as the control. Each treatment was replicated three times, with each replication divided into two subunits, containing 25 seeds per experimental unit. Germination was monitored under controlled conditions (20 °C temperature, 16 hours photoperiod, 200 µmol/m2/s PAR radiation provided by fluorescent lights and 74% relative humidity) in a PGR-15 Conviron plant growth chamber for 10 days. Germination was assessed daily, and key germination parameters were analyzed, including final germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), mean germination rate (MGR), coefficient of variation of germination time (CVt), germination index (GI), and time to 50% germination (t50). Plasma treatment for 0.5 and 1 minute significantly (p < 0.05) increased germination percentage (GP) (52 ± 5.37% and 50.67 ± 2.46%, respectively) compared to the control (34.67 ± 3.96%). MGT decreased in all plasma-treated groups, with the shortest MGT (3.94 ± 0.13 days) observed for 0.5 minutes compared to 4.91 ± 0.29 days for the control, suggesting faster germination. Plasma treatment significantly enhanced MGR, with shorter exposure time leading to accelerated germination. All plasma-treated groups reached 50% germination faster than the control, suggesting improved seed vigor. The GI of plasma-treated seeds was consistently higher than the control, indicating greater germination uniformity. These findings highlight the potential of non-thermal plasma treatment to enhance key factors for improved yield and crop resource use efficiency.