Improvement of yield and grain quality by periodic cold plasma treatment with rice plants in a paddy field

The application of cold plasma has attracted considerable attention in the field of agriculture. We examined the effects of plasma irradiation and treatment with plasma-activated Ringer's lactate solution (PAL) on rice seedlings in a paddy field. Irradiation during the vegetative growth period increased seedling growth, panicle number, and grain yield. In contrast, treatment during the reproductive growth period had a negative or no effect. Moreover, treatment with PAL solution promoted the growth of the main stem, such as grain number and panicle weight, and grain quality, but the grain yield from the whole plant was decreased. The results suggest that cold plasma treatment of rice seedlings is effective for improving plant growth, grain yield, and grain quality.

Automated summary

The application of cold plasma in agriculture has shown positive effects on rice seedlings in terms of growth, grain yield, and quality. However, it may decrease the overall grain yield of the plant.