Long-term plasma-activated-water irrigation improves fruit yield in tomato

Abstract

Abstract Plasma agriculture has recently gained popularity owing to its potential applications in precultivation, cultivation, and postharvest processes. Plasma treatments are beneficial seed-priming agents for improving seed germination. The increase plant growth during the seedling stage and enhance fruit storage duration during postharvest treatment. However, little research has been conducted to confirm the long-term effects of plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment on plant cultivation during stages from germination to harvest. Here, we demonstrate the utilization of PAW, generated from a single dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) device, to understand the functional role of PAW in the cultivation of tomato ‘Micro-Tom’, from germination to harvest. PAW treatment enhanced the growth of young seedlings and increased the number of flowers, plant biomass, and yield compared with the control. Moreover, no adverse effects on the characteristics of fruits produced by PAW-treated plants were observed. These results highlight the potential of PAW as an alternative ecofriendly nutrient source for plant irrigation under nutrient-limiting conditions, during all the stages from seeds to fruits, and offer promising implications for future agricultural practices.