Acacia greenery process enhancement using physical plasma seed germination and treatment techniques

Acacia species, found in arid and semi-arid regions globally, are valued for their nutritious leaves and pods, which provide food, fuel, medicine, and livestock feed. They also play key ecological roles by improving soil fertility, reducing erosion, moderating microclimates, supporting afforestation, and creating natural windbreaks. However, many Acacia species have seeds with hard, thick coats that inhibit germination. To overcome this, techniques like hot water soaking, sulfuric acid treatment, and mechanical scarification are used to increase seed permeability and break dormancy. Seed size and age also impact germination success [1]. On the other hand, recent studies show that low-temperature physical plasma treatment can effectively enhance germination by improving seed vigor and water uptake. This method has been successful with other seeds, such as grape and coffee seeds [2], and could offer a faster, more efficient alternative for promoting Acacia seed germination, improving seedling growth and establishment. This research analyzes experimentally the effect of physical plasma electrical discharge treatment for Acacia seeds to explore its suitability as another method of treatment to improve Acacia greenery processes.

[1] Ghassali, Fahim, Amin Khatib Salkini, S. L. Petersen, Abdoul Aziz Niane, and Mounir Louhaichi. "Germination dynamics of Acacia species under different seed treatments." Range management and Agroforestry 33, no. 1 (2012): 37-42.

[2] Tounekti, Taieb, Zaka-ul-Islam Mujahid, and Habib Khemira. "Non-thermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma affects germination of coffee and grape seeds." In AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 1976, no. 1. AIP Publishing, 2018.