Non-Thermal Plasma Can Be Used in Disinfection of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Seeds Infected with Fusarium oxysporum

The aim of this study was to use diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) non-thermal plasma for the disinfection of pine seed surfaces infected with Fusarium oxysporum spores. Artificially infected seeds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) were treated with plasma for the following exposure times: 1 s, 3 s, 5 s, 10 s, 15 s, 20 s, 30 s, and 60 s, and subsequently germinated on agar medium in Petri dishes at room temperature for the estimation of seed germination and disinfection effect of plasma treatment. Results of the treated samples were compared to the control samples, which were prepared as follows: seeds uninfected and non-treated with plasma (first control); seeds infected with F. oxysporum and non-treated with plasma (second control); and seeds infected with F. oxysporum, non-treated with plasma, but sterilized with 30% perhydrol (third control). Obtained results indicate that 3 s plasma treatment was an optimal time to inhibit F. oxysporum growth, and at the same time, increase the seed germination. In addition, our results are the first to show the practical application of non-thermal plasma in disinfecting infected Scots pine seeds and improving their germination. According to the results of this study, non-thermal plasma can serve as a seed surface disinfectant in the regeneration of different pine species.