Effects of Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment on Plant Physiological and Biochemical Processes, Second Edition

Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.

Radiation and filtration are essential tools for microbial control, targeting microorganisms through distinct mechanisms. Radiation eliminates microbes by damaging their DNA, either killing them or inhibiting their growth. Based on wavelength, radiation is classified into two types: nonionizing and ionizing radiation.Non-ionizing radiation, such as UV radiation (200–400 nm), is absorbed by DNA, causing defects that effectively disinfect surfaces, air, and water, including safety cabinets.

Salt stress—which can be triggered by high salt concentrations in a plant’s environment—can significantly affect plant growth and crop production by influencing photosynthesis and the absorption of water and nutrients.

Heat is a widely used method to control microbial growth by targeting and denaturing cellular proteins, thereby killing or inactivating microbes. This method's effectiveness is quantified using parameters such as the thermal death point (TDP), thermal death time (TDT), and decimal reduction time (D value). TDP represents the lowest temperature at which all microorganisms in a liquid suspension are eliminated within 10 minutes, whereas TDT is the time necessary to achieve sterilization at a...