Session: 17-01-01: Research Posters

Paper Number: 150213

150213 - Plasma Enhanced Seed Germination for Application in Space Agriculture 

One aspect of biotechnology is directly related to space application which includes space agriculture. Due to the absence of sunlight, LED lights can be employed for growing plants. Another issue is related to the bacterial contamination that may be harmful for the plants and the environment around it. Recent studies have shown that exposing plants to UV light may enhance the plants growth rate. A more efficient alternative might be plasma. Due to the dormancy in seeds, many are often unable to germinate or have delayed germination rates. To release their dormancy, the seeds should be exposed to some form of stress such as high temperatures, temperature fluctuation, freezing/thawing, fire, drying, animal digestion, etc. which will stimulate the activation of seed germination. Low-temperature plasma is an effective method that can be used to break seed dormancy and lead to faster seed germination. It includes other traits beneficial to the seed such as plant sustainability and growth factors, making it favorable. In the current work, experiments are conducted to expose seeds to an impinging dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma jet. DBD plasma torch was operated with helium gas that was ionized at 6-10 kV and 40-60 kHz. Two different types of plant seeds were exposed and were compared to a control variable (an untreated seed) to measure the effect of the plasma. Studies have shown that the effect on germination may vary depending on numerous factors (plasma sources, plant species, treatment time, added gasses, moisture content, etc.).The two types of plants that are used in this experiment included tomato and cucumber. Each type of plant had a control version in which seeds were traditionally planted. The other seeds for both plants were treated for about 5 minutes, and then were grown separately. The seeds being exposed were susceptible to oxygen radicals and many bombarding ions causing physical and chemical changes which eroded the outer surface coat and resulted in etched surfaces. This improved the hydrophilic abilities of the seed, and in turn the water uptake of the seed. The difference in both rate of growth and speed of germination for both the treated and non-treated plants were monitored and their growth was measured (in inches) as a function of time. For this purpose, all plants were kept under similar environmental conditions. Growth measurements enabled us to assess the plasma exposure impact of the seed germination, plant growth, and plant health. Current experiment shows that the plasma accelerates seed germination by a couple days for both plants. The plant growth rates of the treated seeds are notably faster compared to the non-treated versions. The tomato plant growth rates have a difference of about 2-3 days and 2-4 inches for treated and untreated seeds respectively. However, for the cucumber plant the corresponding difference was about 5-6 days and 4-5 inches over the same time. Some other areas to be studied in future may include the effect of plasma on microbial decontamination and pesticide control. Plasma may be a good potential method to adapt to certain changes and conditions in agriculture.

Presenting Author: Srida Aliminati San Jose State University

Presenting Author Biography: I am a research intern working in the department of mechanical engineering, San Jose State University. My research interests include the design and development of DBD plasma torches that find applications both in engineering and medicine.

Authors:

Srida Aliminati San Jose State University