Non-Thermal Plasma-A New Green Priming Agent for Plants?

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Humanity has long sought to enhance crop quality, yield, and resilience against adverse conditions through various methods.
• Plant priming, or adaptive response, involves exposing plants to mild stress to prepare them for subsequent, more severe stresses.
• Existing priming techniques include osmopriming, halopriming, and the use of physical agents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the effects of non-thermal plasma (NTP) on plants.
• To explore NTP's role as a potential priming agent for plants.
• To understand NTP's interaction with plant cells and its influence on adaptive responses.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing scientific literature on non-thermal plasma (NTP) applications in plant science.
• Analysis of studies detailing NTP's effects on seed and cell surfaces.
• Examination of research on NTP's impact on cellular molecular processes and plant adaptive responses.

Main Results:

• Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a physical agent comprising charged particles, neutral species, and radicals (reactive oxygen and nitrogen species).
• NTP can induce oxidative stress but, under specific conditions, promotes positive effects like seed surface sterilization and enhanced plant growth.
• Evidence suggests NTP acts as a promising priming agent, inducing adaptive responses in plants.

Conclusions:

• Non-thermal plasma (NTP) offers a novel physical method for plant priming and stress adaptation.
• NTP treatment demonstrates potential for improving seed quality and promoting plant growth.
• Further research into NTP's mechanisms and applications could revolutionize agricultural practices for enhanced crop resilience.