Radiofrequency cold plasma treatment enhances seed germination and seedling growth in variety CIM-Saumya of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Radiofrequency room temperature plasma method is a newly emerging physical seed treatment method for enhanced germination of various crops. The stimulatory effect of plasma exposure on sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) has been investigated. It is an oil-bearing aromatic crop cultivated in Indonesia, Egypt, Morocco, France, India, Greece, USA, and Hungary. Cold plasma seed exposure with different RF power such as T2 (30 W), T3 (90 W), T4 (150 W), T5 (210 W) and T6 (270 W) was applied to work out its effect on seed. The T4 (150 W) cold plasma treatment had the highest stimulatory effect on germination and vigor among all the studied doses of treatments. Increase in the germination and seedling vigor of sweet basil might be a consequence of the increases in water uptake, seed reserve mobilization and depletion rate at T4 treatment.