Acceleration of Germination and Early Growth of Plant Seeds by High Frequency and Low Intensity Alternating Electric Fields

Low-intensity (0.05-1 Vpp/ cm (peak to peak voltage per cm)) and high frequency (10-100 MHz) alternating electric fields accelerate seed germination. One Vpp / cm, 100 MHz alternating electric field application for 10 h significantly shortened germination time of arugula, Japanese mustard spinach, and pea seeds, respectively. The germination rates of the electric field applied plant seeds were enhanced 1.5-2.2 times compared to the untreated seeds, respectively. After 72 h of the incubation, the 1 Vpp / cm, 100 MHz alternating electric field for 10 h significantly increased 1.4 folds of culm lengths in the arugula, the Japanese mustard spinach, and the pea seeds compared with those of the untreated seeds. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.