Effect of irrigation with plasma‐activated wastewater on radish growth

Abstract

AbstractCold atmospheric plasma technology activates water, but the effect of plasma‐activated wastewater on vegetables remains unexplored. The first garden bed was irrigated with wastewater from the Zhulebinsky collector after ultraviolet treatment, and the second bed was irrigated after plasma activation. The third garden bed was irrigated with plasma‐activated wastewater from the Kuryanovsky channel. The bacterial concentration in the water for all experiments was 106 CFU mL−1, the nitrate content in the water for the first garden bed was 6.3 mg L−1, and for the second and third garden beds, it was 10 mg L−1. The average fresh weight of radish roots from the garden bed when irrigated with plasma‐activated water from the Zhulebinsky collector was 7% higher than that when irrigated with ultraviolet‐treated water. The increase in the average fresh weight of stems with leaves was 13%. The highest total and average fresh weights of radish were observed in the garden bed when irrigated with plasma‐activated water from the Kuryanovsky channel. Compared with water irrigation from the Zhulebinsky collector, the increase in average fresh weight was 16%, and compared with irrigation with ultraviolet‐treated water, it was 29%. Reuse of plasma‐activated wastewater increases the yield of vegetables during irrigation and contributes to the saving of fresh water resources.