Improving Seed Quality by Seed Priming under Abiotic Stress Condition: A Review

Author: Deepak Rao, Chaithanya G., Rakesh Dawar, Rohit Chandi and Monalisha Sahoo

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Abstract

Plants face various environmental stresses such as drought, extreme temperatures, exposure to hazardous compounds, submersion, and high salt levels, all of which significantly impact their growth, development, and yield. To enhance plants' ability to withstand these challenges, seed priming has emerged as a simple and cost-effective technique. In this method, seeds are soaked in solutions containing natural or synthetic chemicals before sowing, which accelerates the germination process and triggers crucial physiological and biochemical changes in plants. Seed priming is a physiological process that enables plants to respond more effectively to impending environmental stresses as part of their defense mechanism. Furthermore, plants grown from primed seeds exhibit enhanced and faster responses to environmental challenges. It is evident that seed priming for improved tolerance to abiotic stresses operates through multiple pathways linked to various metabolic activities. Different types of seed priming techniques are employed, and all have demonstrated the ability to produce seedlings that grow faster, more uniformly, and yield larger harvests. Although primed seeds have limitations in terms of viability when stored at high temperatures, the advantages of seed priming outweigh these drawbacks. For successful seed priming, it is crucial to use high-quality seeds that are uniform in size and maturity. Poor-quality or non-uniform seeds may yield inconsistent priming effects and variable germination rates. This overview aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the various crop species that benefit from seed priming techniques and the undeniable advantages it offers in terms of increased resistance to environmental challenges.

Keywords

Abiotic stress, salinity, seed germination, seed priming, seedling emergence

Conclusion

In recent years, the practice of priming seeds has come to be recognized as a dependable method for dealing with stress since it helps protect plants from many sorts of stress that could negatively impact their fitness. Additionally, this method provides a practical, sensible, clever, and easy solution for plant protection. Drought, salinity, oxidative stress, and high temperatures are all related and can cause comparable types of damage. As a result, these abiotic stimuli primarily trigger comparable biological signaling pathways and reactions. Early phases of plant development are known to be activated by seed priming, and growth eventually results in rapid defense responses. Although the particular biochemical mechanisms of seed priming are not entirely understood, it is hypothesized that the buildup of inactive proteins in primed cells is to blame. On the effectiveness of seed priming, several opinions were presented. According to (Nascimento & West 1988), primed seeds have improved germination and seedling vigour due of the mobilization of food reserves, activation and synthesis of specific enzymes, as well as increased production of DNA and RNA.

References

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How to cite this article

Deepak Rao, Chaithanya G., Rakesh Dawar, Rohit Chandi and Monalisha Sahoo (2023). Improving Seed Quality by Seed Priming under Abiotic Stress Condition: A Review. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 15(5): 875-885.