Effect of Low-Temperature Plasma on Forage Maize (Zea mays Linn.) Seeds Germination and Characters of the Seedlings

International audienceLow-temperature plasma is a high-energy state of the material gathered. Plasma seed processing technology is the use of high energy aggregation on treating crop seeds within 20 seconds. Previous research elucidated that this technology could improve germination and seedling growth of welsh onion seeds. In this paper, the effects of different intensities of low-temperature plasma on forage maize seeds have been investigated. The vigor and rate of germination, length of root and shoot of seedlings, the green and dry weight, and the fiber root number of seedlings of the treated sample seeds were compared with those of untreated seeds. The results showed substantial changes in the vigor and rate of germination just like what we found in welsh onion seeds. Thus, the characters of seedlings change regularly with the intensity of low-temperature plasma, and the analysis indicated that 120W was the optimum treatment. Results showed that low-temperature plasma was effective in improving seedling growth, we believe it will be also effective in earlier flowering and maturity and higher yield. There is a great value of using and spreading on production