Changing Germination Rate of Brown Mustard Seeds After Treatment With Plasmas of Nanosecond Electric Discharges

This paper describes an investigation of plasma influence on the germination rate of brown mustard seeds (Brassica juncea L.). It was found that five pulses of a nanosecond microspark have a suppressing action increasing the time of the seeds germination by 5 h; the plasma influence and UV-radiation of the nanosecond surface discharge with the frequency of 1 Hz for the course of 15 min being at a distance of 25 mm from the surface of the seed have a stimulating action on it reducing the germination time by 3 h; a combined treatment using the discharges of both types showed that germination rate may look as two-pulse mode. Repeated experiments confirmed this conclusion. Visual observation of the seeds after the UV-radiation and plasma treatment revealed cracks on the seed coats. The cracks significantly increase moisture penetration into the coat.