Enhancing Seedling Vigor and Stress Tolerance Through ROS-Depleted Capacitively Coupled Plasma (RDCCP) Irradiation

Seedling establishment and vigor are crucial for crop productivity. Irradiating rice seeds with 13.56-MHz RF capacitively coupled Ar cold plasma, particularly at −400-V self-bias for 20 s, significantly enhanced these traits. This study assessed plant performance through biomass accumulation and various biochemical parameters, including enzymatic [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR)] and nonenzymatic (ascorbate (ASA) and glutathione) antioxidants. Unlike conventional plasma treatments reliant on reactive oxygen and nitrogen species reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS), our ROS-depleted capacitively coupled plasma (RDCCP) showed efficacy in improving seedling vigor independently of ROS/RNS. Enhanced water uptake via micropores facilitated early seedling establishment. Testing RDCCP on mung bean demonstrated its broad applicability and effectiveness against NaCl, PEG-6000, and arsenic stresses. The ion bombardment through the plasma sheath increased seed surface permeability, activating the plant’s innate defense system, thus improving performance under both control and stress conditions.