Effect of Non-thermal Plasma on Cucumber Against Meloidogyne incognita Under Open Air Pot Trials

Abstract The study evaluated two different treatments for nonthermal plasma devices, namely diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) and point-to-ring discharge (PTR) in cucumber plants against the severity of Meloidogyne incognita infestation. Plants were evaluated as intensity of infestation (Zeck scale), shoot height, compared to the infected control (IC) (nontreated seeds with M. incognita ) and negative control (NC) (no infestation with treatment and no M. incognita). DCSBD 5s reduced the infestation by 22.9% compared to IC, although this reduction was not statistically significant. A significant reduction in M. incognita infestation in order from higher to lower was found in DCSBD 10s > PTR 10 min > PTR 15 min, compared to IC. In parallel, treatment-dependent differences were observed in shoot height, indicating a marked improvement in vegetative growth following DCSBD exposure. Compared with IC, shoot height increased in DCSBD 5s by 45.1% and PTR 10 min by 21.9%, but decreased in DCSBD 10s by 6.9% and PTR 15 min by 8.7%. When compared with NC, only DCSBD 5s increased shoot height 13.4%; all other treatments decreased. Optimizing exposure to NTP can effectively suppress nematode damage, and NTP has potential as an environmentally friendly alternative nematode management strategy depending on the precise treatment parameters.