Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of agricultural seeds of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) with effect on reduction of diseases and germination improvement

The paper presents the effects of plasma treatment on agricultural seeds. Cucumber and pepper seeds, widely used in agriculture, were treated using the Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge (DCSBD) at atmospheric pressure in ambient air. The plasma treatment (4s for pepper, 20s for cucumber) led to an improvement of germination and germinating power. XPS confirmed chemical changes on the seed surface. The surface morphology of the plasma treated seeds showed no evidence of structural damage. The conclusion is that DCSBD proves to be able to reduce some of the microorganisms and pathogens affecting the seeds. Thanks to their technical simplicity and easy scaling-up, DCSBD plasma sources open new opportunities for atmospheric pressure plasma application in the agricultural industry.