There is an urgent need for sustainable agriculture. Non-thermal plasma seed treatment offers a promising alternative by enhancing germination, nutrient uptake, and disease resistance, and reducing reliance on pesticides and fertilizers. There is an urgent need to transform agricultural practices to meet the challenges of sustainable food production amidst global population growth and environmental degradation. Traditional crop production methods heavily rely on pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, which pose significant risks to human health, disrupt ecosystems, and contribute to environmental pollution. Moreover, these methods are increasingly unsustainable due to rising costs and diminishing effectiveness, evolving pest resistance, and climate change impacts. Recently, non-thermal plasma (NTP) technology has emerged as a promising alternative for seed treatment in agriculture. NTP uses low-temperature plasma to modify seed surfaces, enhancing germination, vigor, and overall plant growth. Studies have demonstrated that NTP treatment improves nutrient uptake, increases disease resistance, and reduces the reliance on chemical inputs (pesticides and fertilizers), thereby promoting pesticide and chemical fertilizer-free agriculture. This paper explores recent research advancements in NTP seed treatment and its potential applications in sustainable agriculture. By exploring the mechanisms underlying the NTP effects on seed physiology, the paper provides a comprehensive understanding of how this technology can contribute to sustainable crop production. Furthermore, the paper discusses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges associated with the potential large-scale use of low-temperature plasmas in agriculture, aiming to accelerate the adoption of NTP and its commercialization in the agro-food industries. Overall, the goal of this paper is to highlight the transformative potential of NTP seed treatment in achieving healthier crop production that is environmentally friendly, economically viable, and capable of meeting the food demands of a growing global population.

• Klíčová slova
• Fertilizers, Haber–Bosch, Nitrogen fixation, Non-thermal plasma, Pesticides, Seed treatment,
• MeSH
• klíčení MeSH
• pesticidy MeSH
• pěstování plodin * metody   MeSH
• plazmové plyny * farmakologie   MeSH
• průmyslová hnojiva MeSH
• semena rostlinná účinky léků   růst a vývoj   fyziologie   MeSH
• zemědělské plodiny * růst a vývoj   účinky léků   MeSH
• zemědělství * metody   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• pesticidy MeSH
• plazmové plyny * MeSH
• průmyslová hnojiva MeSH

Seed priming with gas plasma-activated water results in an increased ageing resilience in Eragrostis tef grains compared to a conventional hydropriming protocol. Tef (Eragrostis tef) is a cereal grass and a major staple crop of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Despite its significant importance in terms of production, consumption, and cash crop value, tef has been understudied and its productivity is low. In this study, tef grains have undergone different priming treatments to enhance seed vigour and seedling performance. A conventional hydropriming and a novel additive priming technology with gas plasma-activated water (GPAW) have been used and tef grains were then subjected to germination performance assays and accelerated ageing. Tef priming increases the germination speed and vigour of the grains. Priming with GPAW retained the seed storage potential after ageing, therefore, presenting an innovative environmental-friendly seed technology with the prospect to address variable weather conditions and ultimately food insecurity. Seed technology opens new possibilities to increase productivity of tef crop farming to achieve a secure and resilient tef food system and economic growth in Ethiopia by sustainable intensification of agriculture beyond breeding.

• Klíčová slova
• Accelerated ageing, Gas plasma priming, Plasma agriculture, Seed germination, Seed technology,
• MeSH
• Eragrostis * MeSH
• jedlá semena MeSH
• semena rostlinná MeSH
• šlechtění rostlin MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Etiopie MeSH

Developing innovative agri-technologies is essential for the sustainable intensification of global food production. Seed dormancy is an adaptive trait which defines the environmental conditions in which the seed is able to germinate. Dormancy release requires sensing and integration of multiple environmental signals, a complex process which may be mimicked by seed treatment technologies. Here, we reveal molecular mechanisms by which non-thermal (cold) atmospheric gas plasma-activated water (GPAW) releases the physiological seed dormancy of Arabidopsis thaliana. GPAW triggered dormancy release by synergistic interaction between plasma-generated reactive chemical species (NO3-, H2O2, ·NO, and ·OH) and multiple signalling pathways targeting gibberellin and abscisic acid (ABA) metabolism and the expression of downstream cell wall-remodelling genes. Direct chemical action of GPAW on cell walls resulted in premature biomechanical endosperm weakening. The germination responses of dormancy signalling (nlp8, prt6, and dog1) and ABA metabolism (cyp707a2) mutants varied with GPAW composition. GPAW removes seed dormancy blocks by triggering multiple molecular signalling pathways combined with direct chemical tissue weakening to permit seed germination. Gas plasma technologies therefore improve seed quality by mimicking permissive environments in which sensing and integration of multiple signals lead to dormancy release and germination.

• Klíčová slova
• Arabidopsis thaliana, Abscisic acid metabolism, endosperm weakening, gas plasma-activated water, nitrogen signalling, non-thermal atmospheric gas plasma technology, plant hormone signalling, reactive oxygen species, seed dormancy,
• MeSH
• Arabidopsis * metabolismus   MeSH
• klíčení fyziologie   MeSH
• kyselina abscisová metabolismus   MeSH
• peroxid vodíku metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku * metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u rostlin MeSH
• semena rostlinná metabolismus   MeSH
• technologie MeSH
• vegetační klid fyziologie   MeSH
• voda metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• DOG1 protein, Arabidopsis MeSH Prohlížeč
• kyselina abscisová MeSH
• peroxid vodíku MeSH
• proteiny huseníčku * MeSH
• voda MeSH

The legumes (Fabaceae family) are the second most important agricultural crop, both in terms of harvested area and total production. They are an important source of vegetable proteins and oils for human consumption. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment is a new and effective method in surface microbial inactivation and seed stimulation useable in the agricultural and food industries. This review summarizes current information about characteristics of legume seeds and adult plants after NTP treatment in relation to the seed germination and seedling initial growth, surface microbial decontamination, seed wettability and metabolic activity in different plant growth stages. The information about 19 plant species in relation to the NTP treatment is summarized. Some important plant species as soybean (Glycine max), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), mung bean (Vigna radiata), black gram (V. mungo), pea (Pisum sativum), lentil (Lens culinaris), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), and chickpea (Cicer aruetinum) are discussed. Likevise, some less common plant species i.g. blue lupine (Lupinus angustifolius), Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), and mimosa (Mimosa pudica, M. caesalpiniafolia) are mentioned too. Possible promising trends in the use of plasma as a seed pre-packaging technique, a reduction in phytotoxic diseases transmitted by seeds and the effect on reducing dormancy of hard seeds are also pointed out.

• Klíčová slova
• Fabaceae, legumes, low temperature plasma, plasma treatment, seed, seedling,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH