**5. Conclusions**

The influence of the cold radiofrequency air plasma treatment on the imbibition and germination of tomato and pepper seeds exerted to conditions appearing in natural seedbeds has been investigated. Plasma treatment markedly hydrophilized surface of seeds and increased the water imbibition (absorption). Various conditions of water supply to germinated seeds were studied. Drought stress essentially affected both germination rates and the kinetics of seed germination. The intensity of harmful effects due to the water stress markedly depended on the species. In our study, a drought stress had a negative effect on the seed imbibition, germination rate, and the speed of germination of *S. lycopersicum* and of *C. annuum* seeds. This observation clarified the importance of plasma treatment, improving the water absorption by seeds. It was established that plasma treatment essentially enhanced the germination rate and the speed of germination in the case of drought stress for both studied cultivars. It was also shown that there is a direct relationship between uptake of water and germination rate of tomato seeds. Under conditions of nonrestricted water supply, the plasma treatment did not influence the germination rate.
