Maryam Ghaemi - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University
Ahmad Majd - Department of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, North-Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University
Alireza Iranbakhsh - Department of Biology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University

AbstractThis study was conducted to monitor the plant responses to seed priming with electromagnetic fields (۰, ۴, or ۶ mT) or cold plasma (۰, ۸۰, or ۱۰۰ s) in Salvia nemorosa. The cold plasma or electromagnetic field treatments significantly increased shoot fresh weight (۴۹%), root fresh weight (۴۱%), and root length (۵۶%). The results highlighted that seed priming with cold plasma or the electromagnetic field is an effective method to modify seedling growth. The electromagnetic field and plasma treatments upregulated the AREB۱ gene (mean = ۳.۹-fold). Except for the electromagnetic field of ۴mT, the other treatments stimulated expressions of the WRKY۱ gene by an average of ۶.۷-fold relative to the control. The cold plasma or electromagnetic field also induced the expression of cinnamoyl-CoA reductases (CCR۲) gene (mean = fourfold). These treatments also changed the expression of the rosmarinic acid synthase by an average of sixfold. These findings may improve our knowledge of plant reactions to cold plasma and electromagnetic field for possible functions in seed technology.

Applied physics, Cold Plasma, Electromagnetic field, gene expression, Seed priming