Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage

The combined effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and hydropriming on the germination performance and seedling characteristics of specific varieties of cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) and broccoli (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>italica</i> Plenck.) seeds aft...

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Main Authors: Pratik Doshi, Vladimír Scholtz, Josef Khun, Laura Thonová, Xiang Cai, Božena Šerá
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8404
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author Pratik Doshi
Vladimír Scholtz
Josef Khun
Laura Thonová
Xiang Cai
Božena Šerá
author_facet Pratik Doshi
Vladimír Scholtz
Josef Khun
Laura Thonová
Xiang Cai
Božena Šerá
author_sort Pratik Doshi
collection DOAJ
description The combined effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and hydropriming on the germination performance and seedling characteristics of specific varieties of cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) and broccoli (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>italica</i> Plenck.) seeds after short-term storage is reported. Seeds were treated with NTP for 10 and 15 min, followed by hydropriming in distilled water for 24 h, and then stored for six months in the dark before evaluation. The treated cucumber seeds demonstrated a statistically significant enhancement in seed germination and seedling vitality indices. In contrast, broccoli seeds showed no significant improvement. The stimulatory effects observed in cucumber may be attributed to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which act as signaling molecules to promote stress tolerance and early growth. This study also highlights the potential of combined NTP treatment and hydropriming as a pre-sowing treatment for select crops, underscoring the need for species-specific optimization. The used, portable, and relatively inexpensive NTP device offers practical advantages for agricultural applications.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2076-3417
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Applied Sciences
spelling doaj-art-78a47214b0f34adea402b7da4dc580312025-08-20T03:36:02ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-07-011515840410.3390/app15158404Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term StoragePratik Doshi0Vladimír Scholtz1Josef Khun2Laura Thonová3Xiang Cai4Božena Šerá5Department of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Physics and Measurements, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 16628 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physics and Measurements, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 16628 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physics and Measurements, University of Chemistry and Technology, Technická 5, 16628 Prague, Czech RepublicDepartment of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, 842 15 Bratislava, SlovakiaThe combined effect of non-thermal plasma (NTP) and hydropriming on the germination performance and seedling characteristics of specific varieties of cucumber (<i>Cucumis sativus</i> L.) and broccoli (<i>Brassica oleracea</i> var. <i>italica</i> Plenck.) seeds after short-term storage is reported. Seeds were treated with NTP for 10 and 15 min, followed by hydropriming in distilled water for 24 h, and then stored for six months in the dark before evaluation. The treated cucumber seeds demonstrated a statistically significant enhancement in seed germination and seedling vitality indices. In contrast, broccoli seeds showed no significant improvement. The stimulatory effects observed in cucumber may be attributed to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which act as signaling molecules to promote stress tolerance and early growth. This study also highlights the potential of combined NTP treatment and hydropriming as a pre-sowing treatment for select crops, underscoring the need for species-specific optimization. The used, portable, and relatively inexpensive NTP device offers practical advantages for agricultural applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8404non-thermal plasmahydroprimingaginggerminationseedling characteristics
spellingShingle Pratik Doshi
Vladimír Scholtz
Josef Khun
Laura Thonová
Xiang Cai
Božena Šerá
Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage
Applied Sciences
non-thermal plasma
hydropriming
aging
germination
seedling characteristics
title Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage
title_full Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage
title_fullStr Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage
title_full_unstemmed Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage
title_short Non-Thermal Plasma and Hydropriming Combined Treatment of Cucumber and Broccoli Seeds and the Effects on Germination and Seedling Characteristics After Short-Term Storage
title_sort non thermal plasma and hydropriming combined treatment of cucumber and broccoli seeds and the effects on germination and seedling characteristics after short term storage
topic non-thermal plasma
hydropriming
aging
germination
seedling characteristics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/15/8404
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