Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2017, Vol. 52 ›› Issue (6): 744-755.DOI: 10.11983/CBB16242

• EXPERIMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Relationship Between Negative Air Ion Generation by Plants and Stomatal Characteristics Under Stimulation of Pulsed Electrical Field

Wu Renye1,2, Sun Yuanfen1, Zheng Jingui1,2,*(), Deng Chuanyuan3, Ye Dapeng4, Wang Qingshui1   

  1. 1Fujian Engineering Technology Research Center of Breeding and Utilization for Special Crops, Fuzhou 350002, China
    2Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Genetics, Breeding and Multiple Utilization of Crop, College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
    3College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
    4College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
  • Received:2016-12-06 Accepted:2017-05-04 Online:2017-11-01 Published:2018-02-22
  • Contact: Zheng Jingui

Abstract: Under normal conditions, the capacity of plants to generate negative air ions (NAIs) is very weak. However, stimulation of a pulsed electrical field can result in substantial improvement of the ability for NAI generation. We examined NAI generation in Stromanthe sanguinea, Calathea zebrina, and Hippeastrum rutilum in glass chambers under the natural state and under pulsed electrical field and light stimulation and analyzed the shape of stomata. We found variation in NAI generation by plants due to the different combined parameters of the pulsed electrical field. Each plant has its own optimal pulsed electrical field with a combination of parameters for efficient NAI generation: S. sanguinea with A3B3C3 (A3, U=1.5×104 V; B3, T=1.5 s; C3, τ =65 ms), C. zebrina with A3B4C1 (A3, U=1.5×104 V; B4, T=2.0 s; C1,τ =5 ms) and H. rutilum with A4B4C1 (A4, U=2.0×104 V; B4, T=2.0 s; C1, τ=5 ms). With the application of a pulsed electrical field to plants, the higher the voltage, the greater the capacity for NAI generation. With enhanced light intensity, the ability to generate NAI significantly increased with application of a pulsed electrical field. Without the pulsed electrical field, despite the slightly increased NAI concentration with increasing light intensity, NAI concentration did not differ (P>0.05). Finally, NAI generation was closely related to the characteristics of leaf stomata. Furthermore, a greater degree of stomatal opening and stomatal density was associated with stronger capacity to generate NAI.

Key words: negative air ions, electrostimulation, pulsed electrical field, light intensity, stomata