Cold Plasma Treatment as a Strategy to Mitigate Salt Stress in Cucumber Germination

Cold plasma technology has become widely used in agriculture, either alone or integrated with other technologies. It offers numerous advantages, particularly in agricultural production, where it is especially popular for seed treatments. In this study, the effects of cold plasma treatment on germination characteristics of cucumber seeds under salt stress were examined. To assess these effects, germination percentage, germination index, mean germination time, mean daily germination, peak value, germination value, root length, hypocotyl length, root dry and fresh weight, and hypocotyl fresh and dry weight were measured. Cold plasma treatments were applied for 0, 15, 30, and 60 s and the treated seeds were subsequently grown under either no salt or under 100 mM NaCl conditions. Cucumber germination parameters and seedling growth increased significantly under all cold plasma treatment durations without salinity, but decreased significantly under high salinity. However, salinity effects were reduced, often significantly, by using the cold plasma technique. Our results demonstrated that cold plasma supports seed germination without salinity and often under high salinity. Germination is one of the first and most important stages of plant cultivation, especially in saline soils. This enhanced germination under salinity promotes healthy seedling development, which is expected to have lasting positive effects on plants’ overall growth and later development stages.