Comprehensive evaluation of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seed vitality based on plasma treatment

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the superior forage crops that is extensively cultivated in China. The surface of alfalfa seed is rich in dense hydrophobic wax-like substances, thus inhibiting water permeation, seed germination, and growth. Plasma treatment can serve as a physical seed treatment to promote seed germination and crop growth while offering environmental and economic advantages. In this study, the optimal conditions of plasma treatment were obtained to promote the growth of alfalfa. An improved model was constructed to clarify the actual effect of plasma treatment on alfalfa seeds. Zhongmu No. 4 was taken as the experimental material. The binary quadratic orthogonal rotation design was used to combine with germination tests. A systematic investigation was also made to explore the effects of plasma treatment power and treatment time on eight indicators of alfalfa seed germination, including seed germination potential, seed germination rate, seed conductivity, water absorption of the seed coat, seedling root length, seedling shoot length, seedling fresh mass, and seedling dry mass. The variance and principal component analysis were conducted to systematically evaluate the vigor of alfalfa seeds before and after plasma treatment. A mathematical model was established to integrate the plasma treatment power and treatment time with the comprehensive germination text index of alfalfa seeds, in order to seek an optimized condition of treatment plan. The results showed that the plasma treatment positively enhanced the vigor of alfalfa seeds; The variance analysis indicated that plasma treatment significantly (P © 2024 Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering. All rights reserved.