Plasma irradiation of rice seeds activates embryo physiology and promotes growth throughout all developmental stages
摘要
Rice seeds after water absorption were directly irradiated with cold plasma. Irradiation of seeds for 5 and 10 s, or of brown rice for 2 s was effective and promoted coleoptile growth, as well as an increase in the levels of phytohormones, including cytokinin and auxin. The growth-promotion responses were also observed at the seedling and mature stages. Furthermore, the number of days to heading was shortened by as much as 11.7 days based on cultivation tests using growth chambers “Smart Plant” without reducing grain yield. These results suggest that plasma irradiation induced early physiological responses in rice seeds that may be associated with subsequent plant growth. This finding may contribute to the development of novel agricultural technologies.