The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent
Forests face increasing threats due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, exacerbating plant stress and disease susceptibility. Norway spruce (<i>Picea abies</i> (L.) H. Karst.), a key conifer species in European forestry, is particularly vulnerable. Developing innovative seed t...
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2025-05-01
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| author | Ieva Čėsnienė Vytautas Čėsna Vida Mildažienė Diana Miškelytė Dorotėja Vaitiekūnaitė Vaida Sirgedaitė-Šėžienė |
| author_facet | Ieva Čėsnienė Vytautas Čėsna Vida Mildažienė Diana Miškelytė Dorotėja Vaitiekūnaitė Vaida Sirgedaitė-Šėžienė |
| author_sort | Ieva Čėsnienė |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Forests face increasing threats due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, exacerbating plant stress and disease susceptibility. Norway spruce (<i>Picea abies</i> (L.) H. Karst.), a key conifer species in European forestry, is particularly vulnerable. Developing innovative seed treatments to enhance tree resilience is crucial for sustainable forest management. Despite the growing interest in cold plasma (CP) technology for seed treatment, research on its long-term effects on trees, particularly Norway spruce, remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pre-sowing CP treatment on Norway spruce seeds from 10 half-sib families over two vegetation seasons. Results indicate that CP treatment influenced key physiological and biochemical parameters in a genotype-specific and treatment duration-dependent manner (1 or 2 min). In some cases, CP-treated seedlings exhibited increased chlorophyll levels (e.g., increased chlorophyll <i>a</i> by up to 49% in some genotypes treated with CP for 1 min, and by up to 35% in those treated with CP for 2 min), reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content in second-year samples (by up to 52% in some genotypes), and enhanced production of phenolics (by up to 21% in some genotypes in both treatment groups), suggesting improved stress tolerance. The 541 half-sib family is particularly noteworthy, as first-year seedlings exhibited increased levels of chlorophylls, flavonoids, and total phenols following a 2 min treatment. In contrast, second-year seedlings of the same family showed an increase in flavonoids and a reduction in MDA levels compared to the control, indicating a sustained and possibly age-modulated physiological response to CP exposure (2 min). However, responses varied across genetic backgrounds, highlighting the importance of genotype in determining treatment efficacy. These findings underscore the potential of CP technology as a tool for improving Norway spruce resilience and inform future strategies for seed enhancement in forestry. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b48feeeb5df44910bfd5ace326905595 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj-art-b48feeeb5df44910bfd5ace3269055952025-08-20T02:59:08ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-05-01149140410.3390/plants14091404The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-DependentIeva Čėsnienė0Vytautas Čėsna1Vida Mildažienė2Diana Miškelytė3Dorotėja Vaitiekūnaitė4Vaida Sirgedaitė-Šėžienė5Laboratory of Forest Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu St. 1, LT-53101 Girionys, LithuaniaDepartment of Forest Protection and Game Management, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu St. 1, LT-53101 Girionys, LithuaniaFaculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto 10, Akademija, LT-53361 Kaunas, LithuaniaDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto 10, Akademija, LT-53361 Kaunas, LithuaniaLaboratory of Forest Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu St. 1, LT-53101 Girionys, LithuaniaLaboratory of Forest Plant Biotechnology, Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepu St. 1, LT-53101 Girionys, LithuaniaForests face increasing threats due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, exacerbating plant stress and disease susceptibility. Norway spruce (<i>Picea abies</i> (L.) H. Karst.), a key conifer species in European forestry, is particularly vulnerable. Developing innovative seed treatments to enhance tree resilience is crucial for sustainable forest management. Despite the growing interest in cold plasma (CP) technology for seed treatment, research on its long-term effects on trees, particularly Norway spruce, remains scarce. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pre-sowing CP treatment on Norway spruce seeds from 10 half-sib families over two vegetation seasons. Results indicate that CP treatment influenced key physiological and biochemical parameters in a genotype-specific and treatment duration-dependent manner (1 or 2 min). In some cases, CP-treated seedlings exhibited increased chlorophyll levels (e.g., increased chlorophyll <i>a</i> by up to 49% in some genotypes treated with CP for 1 min, and by up to 35% in those treated with CP for 2 min), reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) content in second-year samples (by up to 52% in some genotypes), and enhanced production of phenolics (by up to 21% in some genotypes in both treatment groups), suggesting improved stress tolerance. The 541 half-sib family is particularly noteworthy, as first-year seedlings exhibited increased levels of chlorophylls, flavonoids, and total phenols following a 2 min treatment. In contrast, second-year seedlings of the same family showed an increase in flavonoids and a reduction in MDA levels compared to the control, indicating a sustained and possibly age-modulated physiological response to CP exposure (2 min). However, responses varied across genetic backgrounds, highlighting the importance of genotype in determining treatment efficacy. These findings underscore the potential of CP technology as a tool for improving Norway spruce resilience and inform future strategies for seed enhancement in forestry.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1404cold plasma<i>Picea abies</i>chlorophyllcarotenoidsMDAsoluble sugars |
| spellingShingle | Ieva Čėsnienė Vytautas Čėsna Vida Mildažienė Diana Miškelytė Dorotėja Vaitiekūnaitė Vaida Sirgedaitė-Šėžienė The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent Plants cold plasma <i>Picea abies</i> chlorophyll carotenoids MDA soluble sugars |
| title | The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent |
| title_full | The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent |
| title_short | The Impact of Seed Treatment with Cold Plasma on Antioxidants, Sugars, and Pigments in Needles of Norway Spruce Is Genotype-Dependent |
| title_sort | impact of seed treatment with cold plasma on antioxidants sugars and pigments in needles of norway spruce is genotype dependent |
| topic | cold plasma <i>Picea abies</i> chlorophyll carotenoids MDA soluble sugars |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/9/1404 |
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