Effect of Plasma Activated Water Foliar Application on Selected Growth Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L.)
1
Faculty of AgriScience, Mendel University in Brno, Zemědělská 1, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
2
Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Purkyňova 118, 61200 Brno, Czech Republic
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2020, 12(12), 3545; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123545
Received: 14 November 2020 / Revised: 10 December 2020 / Accepted: 14 December 2020 / Published: 17 December 2020
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Plasma Activated Water and Media in Medicine and Agriculture)
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.
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Keywords:
chlorophyll content; fluorescence parameters; root electrical capacitance; plant weight; macro- and micro-nutrient content
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MDPI and ACS Style
Škarpa, P.; Klofáč, D.; Krčma, F.; Šimečková, J.; Kozáková, Z. Effect of Plasma Activated Water Foliar Application on Selected Growth Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L.). Water 2020, 12, 3545. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123545
AMA Style
Škarpa P, Klofáč D, Krčma F, Šimečková J, Kozáková Z. Effect of Plasma Activated Water Foliar Application on Selected Growth Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L.). Water. 2020; 12(12):3545. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123545
Chicago/Turabian StyleŠkarpa, Petr; Klofáč, Daniel; Krčma, František; Šimečková, Jana; Kozáková, Zdenka. 2020. "Effect of Plasma Activated Water Foliar Application on Selected Growth Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L.)" Water 12, no. 12: 3545. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12123545
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