Cadmium (Cd) contamination limits plant growth and productivity. This study evaluated whether cold plasma (CP) seed treatment mitigates Cd stress in two wheat cultivars, Borlaug-16 (B-16) and Zincol-16 (Z-16). Seeds were exposed to CP for 1-4 min and grown under 50 ppm Cd. CP improved germination, with B-16 showing a 40% increase in germination percentage under CP1 and Z-16 a 90.47% increase in germination index under CdCP1 compared to the control. Growth and yield traits also improved; in B-16, grain yield increased by 45.19% (CdCP1) and biomass by 32.29% (CP1), while Z-16 showed an 83.07% increase in biomass (CP4) and a 66.94% increase in total chlorophyll (CdCP4). Oxidative damage declined, with malondialdehyde reduced by 7.79% (B-16, CP4) and 9.09% (Z-16, CP2), accompanied by increased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase. Leaf Cd concentrations decreased by 38.73% in B-16 and 71.79% in Z-16 under CdCP1 relative to Cd-stressed plants. Overall, CP treatment was associated with reduced oxidative stress and improved physiological performance. These results indicate that CP is a practical approach to improve wheat performance under Cd-contaminated conditions.
Keywords: Cold plasma technology (CP); antioxidant defense mechanisms; cadmium stress alleviation; sustainable agriculture; wheat growth optimization.
This study provides the first field-based mechanistic evidence that cold plasma (CP) seed treatment simultaneously improves germination, reduces cadmium (Cd) uptake, and strengthens antioxidant defense pathways in wheat. Unlike previous research limited to controlled laboratory conditions, our work explains that CP significantly minimizes Cd translocation to edible tissues while improving yield, photosynthetic pigments, and grain nutritional quality. These findings establish CP as a novel, sustainable, and scalable technology for mitigating heavy metal stress in cereal crops.