Boosting Seed Performance with Cold Plasma

In 2015, the global community set 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with the second goal aiming to end hunger by 2030. In sustainable agriculture, seed treatment plays a crucial role and cold plasma (CP) has emerged as a promising, eco-friendly technology for improving seed performance. This review highlights CP as an innovative seed treatment method with significant potential to enhance seed vigor, germination, and crop yield, particularly under stress conditions such as drought, salinity, and biotic challenges. CP works by generating reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which modulate key biochemical and physiological responses in seeds. These responses include improvements in water uptake, enhanced germination rates, and better stress tolerance. Moreover, CP exhibits strong antimicrobial properties, making it a chemical-free alternative for seed decontamination. Despite these benefits, the application of CP in large-scale agriculture faces several challenges. Also, this review critically examines the limitations of CP treatment, including the lack of standardized protocols and insufficient field validation. Additionally, it compares CP treatment with conventional chemical and microbial methods, offering insights into its potential advantages and remaining obstacles. This emerging technology holds promise for enhancing crop productivity while minimizing environmental impact, but further research and validation are essential for its broader adoption in sustainable agricultural practices.