Improvement of Seed Germination Rate, Agronomic Traits, Enzymatic Activity and Nutritional Composition of Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Using Low-Frequency Glow Discharge Plasma

Plasma agriculture is an emerging field. In this report, we studied the effect of medium pressure (~ 10 torr) low-frequency (3–5 kHz) glow discharge (LFGD) plasma on various agronomical and physiological attributes in wheat. Wheat seeds treated by LFGD plasma generated from Argon–Oxygen (Ar + O2) gas mixture and air showed a remarkable enhancement in seed germination by 12.38% and 7.14% respectively. Also, the morpho-physiological features significantly improved due to plasma treatment relative to control. In germinated wheat seedlings, H2O2 concentration markedly increased due to plasma treatments, suggesting that LFGD may be involved in nitrogen signaling in wheat. The SOD activity significantly increased in wheat seedlings subjected to Ar + O2 plasma, while APX activity showed a significant increase only in the shoot of wheat plants in the same condition. Besides, both plasma treatments (Ar + O2 and Air) caused a significant increase in CAT activity in the shoot but not in the root compared to non-treated plants. Analysis of wheat plants germinated from plasma treated seeds showed a notable increase in total soluble sugar and protein subjected to Ar + O2 plasma treatment. Results also revealed a significant increase in TGM, iron, manganese, fat, and ash content while moisture content significantly decreased in wheat grain due to plasma treatments relative to controls. These findings explore the potentialities of LFGD plasma in boosting germination, growth, and nutritional traits of wheat plants.