Activation of Ground Water by a High-Voltage Discharge in Bubbles and Its Effect on Early Stages of Wheat Development

Abstract

Ground water was treated with a discharge in bubbles fed with voltage pulses with a rise time varied from 51 to 1400 ns. The resulting water–salt solutions (plasma-activated water—PAW) were used to germinate soft spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) of the “Iren” variety. As a result of observing plants for 5 days, it was found that PAW obtained in different ways had different effects on their development. Compared to the control sample, the greatest moisture uptake and growth of the plant root system is ensured by treatment with 51 ns voltage pulses, while the use of microsecond pulses leads to a decrease in these parameters. It is assumed that the use of pulses with a shorter rise time leads to the formation of chemically active species in PAW. The experiments performed demonstrate the importance of taking into account the electrophysical parameters of devices when developing technologies for the production and use of PAW in plasma agriculture.