Cold plasma treatment alleviates cadmium stress by optimizing growth, yield, and antioxidant defense mechanisms in wheat ( <i>Triticum aestivum</i> L.)

Cadmium (Cd) contamination limits plant growth and productivity. This study evaluated whether cold plasma (CP) seed treatment mitigates Cd stress in two wheat cultivars, Borlaug-16 (B-16) and Zincol-16 (Z-16). Seeds were exposed to CP for 1-4 min and grown under 50 ppm Cd. CP improved germination, with B-16 showing a 40% increase in germination percentage under CP1 and Z-16 a 90.47% increase in germination index under CdCP1 compared to the control. Growth and yield traits also improved; in B-16, grain yield increased by 45.19% (CdCP1) and biomass by 32.29% (CP1), while Z-16 showed an 83.07% increase in biomass (CP4) and a 66.94% increase in total chlorophyll (CdCP4). Oxidative damage declined, with malondialdehyde reduced by 7.79% (B-16, CP4) and 9.09% (Z-16, CP2), accompanied by increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Leaf Cd concentrations decreased by 38.73% in B-16 and 71.79% in Z-16 under CdCP1 relative to Cd-stressed plants. Overall, CP treatment was associated with reduced oxidative stress and improved physiological performance. These results indicate that CP is a practical approach to improve wheat performance under Cd-contaminated conditions.