Cold Plasma Effects on Seed Priming of Sage (Salvia officinalis L.)

Cold plasma is an emerging physical technology for seed priming; however, its effects on sage (Salvia officinalis L.) remain poorly characterized. This study investigated the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) argon plasma on germination indices, seedling growth, and biochemical traits of sage seeds. A completely randomized design with four treatments (control, ۳, ۵, and ۱۰ min plasma exposure) and three replications was employed. Plasma treatment significantly (p < ۰.۰۰۱) enhanced all germination traits. Germination percentage increased from ۷۵.۶۷% (control) to ۹۴.۰۰% (۱۰ min), while germination rate rose from ۳.۲۰ to ۴.۹۰. Mean germination time decreased from ۶.۲۰ to ۴.۰۰ days. Radicle and plumule lengths increased by ۹۲% and ۶۴%, respectively, at ۱۰ min. Soluble carbohydrates and total proteins reached their maximum values at ۵ min (۱۷.۴۷ and ۱۱.۲۰ mg/g FW), showing ۴۴% and ۴۳% increases over the control. Vegetative growth parameters, including root length, shoot length, and leaf number, were also maximized at ۵ min. Seedling vigor index showed a remarkable increase from ۱۶.۷۴ (control) to ۴۵.۰۸ (۱۰ min), representing a ۲.۷-fold improvement. The ۵-min treatment was optimal for vegetative growth and biochemical accumulation, while ۱۰-min was superior for germination traits. These improvements are attributed to enhanced seed coat permeability, increased enzyme activity, and improved reserve mobilization induced by plasma-generated reactive species. Therefore, cold plasma is proposed as a non-chemical, eco-friendly priming method for medicinal plant cultivation.

کلیدواژه ها:

Cold plasma ، Seed priming ، Salvia officinalis L. ، Germination ، Biochemical traits ، Seedling vigor