EFFECTS OF LOW-FREQUENCY HIGH-VOLTAGE PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS ON GERMINATION CHARACTERISTICS OF AGED RICE SEEDS

Abstract

In this study, the effects of different electric field parameters on the germination characteristics of aged rice seeds were determined via low-frequency high-voltage pulsed electric field (LH-PEF) treatment. The Design-Expert software was used to design a rotating combination test, and response surface analysis was used to optimize five germination characteristics of rice seeds. The optimal treatment voltage was 13 kV and the optimal treatment time was 32.72 min. The results show that, under the optimal treatment conditions (P<0.01), the germination potential (GE), germination rate (GP), germination index (GI), vitality index (VI) and high vitality ratio (HVR) of the aged rice seeds increased by 23.7%, 17.7%, 43.2%, 59.7%, and 250%, respectively, compared to the control. The pulsed electric field’s biological effect on the aged rice seeds was the most significant when the optimal treatment parameters were used. The results of this study provide a reliable reference for the parameter optimization of high-voltage electric field treatment of crop seeds.