Effect of short‐term treatment of some cereal grains with atmospheric pressure Ar–O2 and Ar–air plasma

A study of the grain surface structure and seedling development of wheat, barley, oats, and rye depending on short‐term treatment of their grains in Ar–O2 and Ar–air cold plasma and post‐discharge with a perspective of implementation of the method on an industrial scale is presented. Following parameters are monitored: chemical composition of plasma, grain surface roughness, germination rate, seed germination, length of seedlings, dry mass of stems and roots, as well as vigor index II. The results show that even an 8.7‐s‐long treatment of grains in postdischarge can improve the root system of seedlings, increasing its mass up to 16.2% (barley), 15.6% (rye), and 14.3% (wheat) within the first 10 days after sowing.