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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Combined application of non-thermal plasma and nano-micronutrients improves seed performance and growth dynamics in radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.15288
Submitted
28 April 2026
Published
21-09-2026

Abstract

Low seed vigour and nutrient-use inefficiency remain a key constraint in radish productivity. Combining surface-modification of seeds (plasma treatment) and a change in nutrient-delivery mechanism (Foliar) offers a more potential way to overcome these constraints. The present study was therefore carried out to evaluate the effect of non-thermal plasma treatment and nano-micronutrient application on germination, biochemical characteristics and growth performance of radish under a completely randomised design with 4 treatments: untreated control (T1), non-thermal plasma alone (T2), nano-micronutrients alone (T3) and combined non-thermal plasma with nano-micronutrients (T4). When the seeds were subjected to plasma treatment germination % increased by 7.14 % and vigour index was 26.69 % higher on the 3rd day of observation (P ≤ 0.05). Biochemical assessments revealed significant differences among the treatments; specifically, the combined application of plasma and nano-micronutrients (T4) resulted in the highest soluble protein content (79.6 µg/ mL) and total phenol content (50.33 µg/ mL). The phenol and protein concentration may be attributed by the plasma induced reactive species. The growth parameters demonstrated a higher leaf area index (3.21) and higher yield (200 g plant-1) under the combined treatment (P ≤ 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed clear modifications in the surface of the radish seed coat from cold plasma-treated seeds (100x magnification): the surface exhibited etching, a considerable removal of the waxy layer, and an increase in micro-roughness, in contrast to the smooth, unaltered epidermal structure of control seeds indicating that plasma treatment altered the surface morphology while keeping the overall seed coat structure, which must have improved the vigour index. Together, these findings indicate that combined treatment of non-thermal plasma with nano-micronutrient application improves germination, biochemical properties and growth in radish.

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