Cold Plasma Based Enhancement of Colonization of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) and Fungal Resistance of Seeds

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma has been proposed as an emerging tool for improving the motility and activity of Plant Growing Promoting Bacteria (PGPB). The main objective of this research is to enhance the functional activity of isolated bacterial strain of Bacillus lichenformis (Plant growth Rhizobacteria) by treating this cultural strain under Cold Micro Plasma at atmospheric pressure in the presence of magnetic field and without magnetic field. The plasma treated and untreated bacterial strain have been inoculated in different apple seeds. In order to see the germination rate, these seeds were placed in petri plates and to check the growth, these seeds were planted in pots. It is observed that the seeds treated with plasma without magnetic field show faster germination rate and growth of apple seeds in their dormancy period, whereas seeds treated with plasma in the presence of magnetic field exibit enhanced fungal resistance. Micro cold plasma has been observed to improve seed’s sprouting and germination, plant production during dormancy period and enhanced plant’s fungus resistance.