WIR! - Physics for Food
Physics for Seed Treatment - Determination of the efficiency of plasma treatments for the inactivation of phytopathogens and for stress adaptation during germination
Duration from 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2024, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the funding code (FKZ) 03WIR2812A.
As part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research's initiative "Change through innovation in the region", the "Physics for Food" project has set itself the task of investigating and establishing possible alternatives to chemical processes using physical methods. In various lead projects, possibilities for seed treatment, for the promotion of plant growth and health, as well as in the processing of crops and fodder plants are being investigated. (Further information on the overall project and the individual lead projects can be found here: physicsforfood.org
The lead project "Physics for Seed Treatment", led by the INP, builds on the experience gained in the first funding phase of the overall "Physics for Food" project and is now continuing this. Other partners are the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), the Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture (LfL), NPZ Innovation GmbH and Saatzucht Bauer GmbH & Co KG. The aim is to improve yield and quality assurance in the cultivation of crops while at the same time conserving resources and the environment by using physical technologies to replace or supplement the use of chemical agents such as pesticides in particular. The INP is specifically investigating plasma processes for this purpose. The focus is on 1. the indirect treatment of seeds with plasma-treated air to inactivate harmful seed-borne microorganisms, especially against fungal infestation, on the seed coat and thus reduce the incidence of disease; 2. direct plasma treatment of seeds, also in combination with plant growth-stimulating bacteria, to accelerate germination, improve field emergence and ultimately increase yield. In this way, the project contributes to supporting and promoting agriculture in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and throughout Germany to cultivate arable land more residue-free and to protect and strengthen the production site despite challenges.
