Effect of constant high-voltage electric field on wheat seed germination

In this work an effect of the 10-min pre-sowing treatment by the constant electric field with the 3 kV cm−1 electric field strength on the soft spring wheat seed germination is studied at various positions of the seeds in a plane-parallel electrode system. The effects of the electric field direction and contact conditions of the seeds with a plane aluminum electrode (no contact, when the seeds lie on the isolating plate; contact with the positive or negative high-voltage or grounded electrode) are compared. The treatment response is estimated by the morphological characteristics of 3-day seedlings—germination, the shoot length and the length of individual roots. At all modes, the treatment does not change seed germination. At each considered variant of seed location, the electric field effect did not reduce the average length of the root system and the shoot length below the ones at the control variant. The significant increase of morphological characteristics is achieved at the seed contact with the high voltage electrode.