Effect of Plasma Activated Water Foliar Application on Selected Growth Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L.)

Abstract

Utilization of plasma activated water (PAW) for plant growing is mainly connected with the treatment of seeds and subsequent stimulation of their germination. A potential of PAW is its relatively simple and low-cost preparation that calls for studying its wider application in plant production. For this purpose, a pot experiment was realized in order to prove effects of the foliar PAW application on maize growth. The stepped PAW foliar application, carried out in 7-day intervals, led to provable decrease of chlorophyll contents in leaves compared to the distilled water application. The PAW application significantly increased root electrical capacitance, but it had no provable effect on weight of the aboveground biomass. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters expressing the CO2 assimilation rate and variable fluorescence of dark-adapted leaves were provably decreased by PAW, but quantum yield of photosystem II electron transport was not influenced. A provably higher amount of nitrogen was detected in dry matter of plants treated by PAW, but contents of other macro- and micro-nutrients in the aboveground biomass of maize were not affected. Results of this pilot verification of the PAW application have shown a potential for plant growth optimization and possibility for its further utilization, especially in combination with liquid fertilizers.

Response of Normal and Low-Phytate Genotypes of Pea (Pisum sativum L.) on Phosphorus Foliar Fertilization

“…Chlorophyll fluorescence determination was performed with a PAR-FluorPen FP 110-LM/S (Photon Systems Instruments, Drásov, Czech Republic). The measured data were subsequently evaluated using FluorPen 1.1 software [ 56 ]. The leaves of the pea plant were dark adapted for 30 min prior to the measurement.…”

Plasma-fixated nitrogen as fertilizer for turf grass

“…Determining the optimal dilution for increasing nitrogen fertilizer efficiency is important toward reducing fertilizer costs and runoff, and adjusting the amount of nitrates we add to the plants over time is crucial for optimizing growth. 13 While the 100 : 1 dilution had the best efficiency for increasing height and mass, the growth rate was slow, and there was not a signicant difference (signicance level a < 0.05) in height from the control group over the 17 day growth period. Therefore, the results suggest that the 20 : 1 dilution may be the best in terms of maximizing growth rate and nitrogen efficiency regarding height.…”

“…Air plasmas were generated using an atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor 4,9,13 operating at 23 kHz driving frequency and with a sinusoidal peak to peak voltage of 7 kV. In a typical experiment, the discharge drew 450 watts of input power.…”

Using Waste Sulfur from Biogas Production in Combination with Nitrogen Fertilization of Maize (Zea mays L.) by Foliar Application

“…To determine the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, selected fluorescence parameters of chlorophyll were measured in maize plant. The tested parameters were measured with the PAR-FluorPen FP 110-LM/S (Photon Systems Instruments, Drásov, Czech Republic) and evaluated using the FluorPen 1.1 software [ 86 ]. Measurements of fluorescence parameters were carried out on identical leaves (5th and 6th true leaves) at identical terms (t1 and t2) as for chlorophyll content determination.…”