Quad-atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet (q-APPJ) Treatment of Chilli Seeds to Stimulate Germination

In the current study, a square assembly of four quad-atmospheric pressure plasma jets (q-APPJ) is used to treat large-sized chilli seeds simultaneously. Germination and growth characteristics improve significantly after a 10-sec treatment of q-APPJ employing argon as the working gas. Plasma-treated chilli seed is more etched and porous than those untreated seed surface, as shown in scanning electron microscopy. The chemical changes of the plasma-treated seeds showed that the Ar plasma-treatment oxidise the seed surface to enhance their wettability, stimulate the water uptake, increase the water electrical conductivity and result in improved seed germination. In addition, optical emission spectroscopy is used to detect the different plasma species present and evaluate their plasma parameters (electron temperature and density). These positive results suggested that Ar plasma-treatment, in APPJ setup, improve seed germination, and potentially improve crop yield, and food security issues.