Plasma-Activated Water: A Novel Approach for Sustainable Microgreen Production
Research Poster Health & Life Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Sanchita Saha
Exhibition Number 74
Abstract
Plasma-activated water (PAW) is a novel irrigation medium that contains reactive nitrogen and oxygen species. While PAW has shown benefits for seed germination and plant growth, its effects on microgreens remain largely unexplored. Therefore, this study investigates how PAW processing time and storage duration affect its chemical properties and the yield and quality of pea (Pisum sativum L.) microgreens. Tap water was treated with a gliding arc plasma generator (200 mA, 2.6–2.7 kV) provided by Plasma Licensing Authority Inc. (New York, NY) for 30, 60, 90, and 120-minutes. Untreated tap water and tap water supplemented with 100 ppm of NH4NO3 were used as control. PAW chemical properties including pH, electrical conductivity, NO3-N, NO2-N, and H2O2 were analyzed immediately post-treatment and at intervals of 5, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. Treated water was applied to pea microgreens in two experimental sets: (1) within 12-hour post-generation and (2) after a 72-hour storage period at ambient temperature. Pea microgreens grown under controlled environmental conditions were exposed to PAW and control solutions after complete germination and were harvested 8-9 days after sowing measuring yield and quality components. Processing time significantly affected the chemical properties of PAW, like, NO3-N increased with processing time and storage. All PAW treatments had higher yield than tap water and the 60-minute and 90-minute treatments also exhibited 4.06% and 6.11% increase in fresh weight respectively, compared to the NH4NO3 solution when applied after 72-h, suggesting the potential synthetic N-fertilizer replacement with plasma-generated N for sustainable microgreen production.
Importance
This research investigates water exposed to plasma (the fourth state of matter) as a sustainable tool to improve plant growth and nutrition using microgreens as a model crop. Plasma activated water (PAW), containing reactive nitrogen and oxygen species, has the potential to serve as a natural sanitizer when applied immediately post-generation or as a nitrogen fertilizer substitute after storage, supplying fixed atmospheric-N to the plants. The study reveals how adjusting PAW treatment and storage duration can enhance plant growth, increase yields, and boost nutrients like nitrogen and calcium, outperforming tap water or synthetic fertilizer. While tested on microgreens, these findings suggest broader applications of PAW across various crops and agricultural systems, offering a sustainable, eco-friendly approach for greener agriculture.