Response of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) to irrigation water salinity following corm priming with cold plasma technology

Cold plasma is a recent technical intervention for seed treatment to manage stress crop plants. In the present study, factorial experiment arrangement in randomized complete block design was used to test the impact of irrigation water salinity (2 (well water as control), 4, and 6 dS m^{- 1}) using NaCl salt, and diverse exposure durations to plasma (0 (control) 5 (short-term), 10 (average-term), and 20 (long-term) min). The corm number was increased by salinity treatments, such that the highest corm number was assigned to 4 dS m^-1. The protective effect of the cold plasma at average-term against salinity stress indicates the significant prominent increase of the corm weight, leaf number, leaf weight, stigma dry weight, photosynthetic pigments, and protein content. Medium salinity levels and average term plasma duration increased chlorophyll a by 21.78%, chlorophyll b by 12.78%, and total chlorophyll by 15.97%. Triggering enzymes activity was the most notable mechanism of cold plasma that led to alleviation of adverse effect of salt stress. The polyphenol oxidase activity was 104.34% higher in the leaves of plants exposed to long-term plasma duration in high salinity. Antioxidant activity was strongly induced under high salinity level: peroxidase activity doubled in the short term and the tripled in long term plasma treatment compared with non-plasma treatment. In conclusion, a significant increase in proline, soluble sugars, antioxidant activity, and plant growth associated with 20 min contact with plasma in the protection of plants at high salinity. However, molecular validation and stigma quality investigations are necessary to confirm these findings within a restricted salinity range.