Cold Plasma as a Dual Strategy for Insect Control and Seed Quality Enhancement in Chickpea, Lentil, and Cereal By-Products

One of the significant challenges many countries face today is managing storage pests. Although insecticides play a substantial role in protecting stored agricultural products, their widespread and indiscriminate use and persistence in the environment can adversely affect human and animal health and contribute to the development of pesticide resistance in insects. Cold plasma has emerged as a promising alternative for insect control. In this study, atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma was applied to eliminate Tribolium castaneum and Callosobruchus maculatus in substrates including flour, rolled oats, bran, chickpeas, and lentils. Results demonstrated that destruction of adults and eggs of C. maculatus in lentils and chickpeas required 9 minutes of plasma exposure at 24 kV. In contrast, 2 minutes of treatment at 23 kV was sufficient to eliminate larvae, pupae, and adults of T. castaneum . Additionally, this study investigated the effects of cold plasma on seed germination parameters and product surface hydrophilicity, using attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and contact angle measurements. The results indicate that plasma treatment can simultaneously enhance seed germination performance and water uptake in addition to its insecticidal effects.