Stimulating effects of magnetized arc plasma of different intensities on the germination of old spinach seeds

Stimulation with a magnetized arc plasma (MAP) can improve seed germination and seedling growth. This technology has been applied in practice and works well. In this paper, the effects of different MAP intensities on old seeds of Spinacia oleracea L. Beiouzhizun were investigated to determine the optimal conditions for improving germination. The vigor and germination rate were compared between treated and untreated seeds under laboratory conditions. The results show that the vigor and rate were much greater for the treated seeds compared to the untreated ones. The germination vigor increased by 217.6% and the germination rate by 137.2% for a treatment intensity of 2.0 A repeated three times. This was the optimum treatment for stimulating potential vigor and promoting seed germination. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.