Presowing treatment of winter wheat seeds using surface discharge

Effect of products of surface discharge on seeds of soft winter wheat in electrode configurations consisting of parallel strips with interstrip distances of 5 and 10 mm is experimentally studied. In each system, the seeds are exposed for 10, 60, 120, or 180 s at voltages of 1.8, 2.1, 2.4, or 2.7 kV using sine-shaped supply voltage of electrodes with a frequency of 4.4 kHz. The seeds are placed as a single layer on a grounded surface at a distance of 10 mm from the plane of dielectric barrier. The results of treatment are assessed using morphological characteristics of three-day germs. Air flows in the gap are monitored using particle image velocimetry. It is shown that the regimes of treatment are divided into two groups. For the first group, the air flow reaches the plane in which the seeds are placed. For the second group, the air flow does not reach the plane. In the first case, germination can be stimulated at an interstrip distance of 10 mm, a voltage of 2.4–2.7 kV, and any exposure time. Germination percentage remains stable and high in all regimes.