Effects of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field Exposure on Arabidopsis thaliana

Seven days old seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana, suspended in a 0.4 S/m buffer solution were exposed to nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) with a duration of 10 ns, 25 ns and 100 ns. The electric field was varied from 5 kV/cm up to 50 kV/cm. The specific treatment energy ranged between 100 J/kg and 10 kJ/kg. Due to electroporation of the plasmamembrane of the plant cells, the seedlings completely died off, when 100 ns pulses and high electric field pulses were applied. But even at the highest specific treatment energies, 10 ns pulses had no lethal effect on the seedlings. An evaluation of the leaf area 5 and 7 days after pulsed electric field treatment revealed values twice the area of sham treated seedlings up to a specific treatment energy of 4 kJ/kg, when the applied field amplitude was low or the pulse duration 10 ns. A growth stimulating effect after short pulse exposition clearly could be detected. Contrary to the growth inhibiting effect of plasmamembrane electroporation on the seedlings, a growth stimulation by nsPEF treatment does not scale with the treatment energy within the applied parameter range.