An Investigation of the Effect of Packed Bed Plasma Treatment of Soybeans On Seed Surface Contact Angle And Water Absorption

Recent studies have shown that plasma treatment of seeds give rise to beneficial effects such as improved germination probability or increased growth rate. These mechanisms underlying the observed improvements are not well understood. In this work, we investigate the relationship between contact angle and water absorption capacity. A packed bed array of seed aggregate was exposed to plasma generated through the application of nanosecond, high voltage pulses. The seeds were also treated with plasma activated water (PAW), which allows for the determination of the relative efficacy of both treatment approaches.