Use of Plasma-treated Water to Prepare Seeds of Coniferous Species for Sowing

The article discusses the accelerated cultivation of quality planting material using the method of seed preparation by soaking in water treated in low-temperature plasma discharge. The most promising planting material are seedlings with closed root system. They are grown from improved seed grain in optimal conditions of greenhouses. Among various methods of stimulating germination of the seed germ, it is of interest to influence it with "cold" plasma. With the help of a specially designed device, which allows to treat water with low temperature plasma discharge, plasma-treated water for soaking seeds was obtained. The time of water treatment varied from 1 to 4 min. Water activated by plasma had acidity indicators other than those of ordinary water. The time of acidity level restoration was from 2 to 4 days. Germination rates and germination energy were obtained for seeds of Pinus silvestrys and Picea abies soaked in water with different duration of plasma treatment. When seeds were soaked in water treated with plasma for 1, 2 and 4 min, germination energy increased by 20-31 % for pine and by 6-18 % for spruce compared to the control (soaking in distilled water). Technical germination of pine seeds increased by 11-21 %, for spruce by 3-16 %. The results of research show changes in the structure and composition of the nutrient substance of the seed, in the structure of the germ and the degree of its development. Analysis of the chemical composition of seed endosperm a day after soaking relative to dry seeds showed an increase in its carbon content by 2-3 % and a decrease in oxygen by 1 %; potassium - by 0.5 %. When seeds were soaked in distilled water, the content of phosphorus in the endosperm decreased by 0.15 %, and the content of sodium - by 0.2 %. For seeds soaked in plasma treated water, phosphorus content decreased by 0.21-0.22 % and sodium content was not observed. Soaking seeds in plasma-treated water stimulates the processes of their preparation for germination and differentiation of germ tissues (formation of seed pods), compared to seeds soaked in water.