Seed Priming Research Articles

Adsorption and Incorporation of AgNPs Mediated by Seed Priming in Cultivated Taify Pomegranate: Integrated Approaches

A novel approach known as seed priming has been developed to improve seed germination and, ultimately, increase growth and yield. For high-value crops like pomegranates (Punica granatum) in high-altitude regions like the Taif area, affordable, sustainable, and efficient seed treatments are yet to be discovered. In this study, we employed a green synthesis method using pomegranate peel and coffee ground extracts to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) at a concentration of 80 mg/mL. These AgNPs were then utilized to prime pomegranate seeds for 24 h. Furthermore, a chemical reduction method using trisodium citrate was used for comparison. The adsorption of NPs was verified using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), while their incorporation was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We further validated our EM results with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). According to the findings of this study, AgNPs were observed to be present within seeds even after undergoing storage during priming. There is a possibility that the results obtained could potentially contribute to maintaining the quality of crops in a sustainable and eco-friendly manner.

Dissimilarities of Shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) Seedlings Growth and Quality through Priming with Moringa Leaf Extract

Seed priming is one method for increasing the growth and quality of seedlings. This study aims to evaluate moringa leaf extract as a priming agent and its effect on the seedling growth and quality of shallot from true seed. This study used a randomized block design with five replications. Priming treatment consisted of unprimed, hydropriming, and three levels of Moringa leaf extract concentration, including 12.5%, 25%, and 37.5%. A one-way analysis of variance was used to perform statistical analysis, with a p-value of 0.05 considered significant. In addition, the mean comparison was performed by Tukey multiple comparison test. According to the research, seed priming with moringa leaf extract at 37.5% resulted in the best effects on the parameter seedling emergence index (1.20), plant height (31.12 cm), number of leaves (4.80), pseudo stem diameter (3.22 mm), total root length (329.70 mm), number of root tips (94.60), root volume (4.64 mm3), fresh weight seedling (2.77 g), dry weight seedling (0.19 g) and seedling quality index (0.0126), while compared to other treatments.

Effects of priming duration and concentration of metabolites from rhizosphere bacteria on the germinability of cowpea, soybean, sesame, and okra seeds

Seed priming enhances germination and growth, which are important determinants of crop yield. This study was carried out to assess the effect of priming duration and metabolite concentration on the priming of five (5) different crops, using the metabolites of five (5) bacterial isolates. The crop seeds were treated in the cold-extracted metabolites of the five isolates at five (5) different priming durations (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 h) and then in five metabolite concentrations (200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mg/L) of the five extracted metabolites at the optimal priming duration determined in the first experiment. Characterization of the cold-extracted metabolites was also carried out using gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results revealed that priming cowpea and soybean for longer durations (< 3 h) could hinder their growth and development. Lower concentrations were observed to be optimal for cowpea and soybean, but for sesame and okra, there was no detectable pattern with metabolite concentration. The GC-MS revealed the presence of some molecules (e.g. hexadecanoic acid) that have shown plant growth promotion potential in other studies. This study showed that seeds with large endosperm, such as, cowpea and soybean, are more prone to the deleterious effects of treatment for longer durations. Further experiments should be carried out to isolate and purify the bioactive moieties for further studies and onward application.

Enhancing Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Productivity and Seed Quality through Silicon-Based Seed Priming under Salt-Stressed Conditions

Enhancing Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) Productivity and Seed Quality through Silicon-Based Seed Priming under Salt-Stressed Conditions

Impact of Different Seed Priming Treatments on Seed Yield in Foxtail Millet

Impact of Different Seed Priming Treatments on Seed Yield in Foxtail Millet

Hydro Priming Efficacy on Rubber Plant Seeds (Hevea brasiliensis) Growth

Among the plantation products, rubber is critical to economic activity within Indonesia. Rubber is also identified as one of Indonesia's export products, which is significant as an export revenue source apart from the oil and gas sector. Malaysia is the world's second-largest rubber producer and exporter of natural rubber after Indonesia. Besides having more open export opportunities and stimuli, the domestic rubber market is still large. Therefore, this study aims to ascertain the efficiency of hydro priming of rubber seeds on germination time and power as well as sprout height. The research was conducted in the greenhouse at the experimental garden in the Faculty of Agriculture KU IMS in Kuantan Singingi, which are given at geographical coordinates 00 00-10 00 LS 1010 02 – 1010 55 BT. The research was conducted in November-December 2023. The questionnaire survey was conducted in November and December of 2023. The average air temperature of the research location for November and December 2023 was 28. ranges from 8 0C to 32 0C with relative humidity of about 81%. The research approach was conducted in a qualitative manner utilizing mathematical techniques. Data is generally put in a tabular form and analyzed. Various treatment levels were under Control, 12h, 24h, 36h and 48h of hydro priming. In this research, the parameters recorded include time taken for germination, germination strength and sprout height. According to the outcomes of the assessments made in this study, the hydro priming treatment conducted on the rubber plant seeds showed the fastest germination time characteristics in the 48-hour treatment, which is 3. 4 days. The maximum germination capacity was observed in the hydro-priming treatment of 36 hours, which was 90. 0%. On the other hand, the tallest observation parameter of the height of the sprouts was in 48 hrs of Hydro Priming, with a height of 26. 3 cm

Application of chitosan nanopriming on plant growth and secondary metabolites of Pancratium maritimum L

BackgroundNanotechnology has demonstrated its vital significance in all aspects of daily life. Our research was conducted to estimate the potential of primed seed with chitosan nanoparticles in seed growth and yield by inducing plant secondary metabolism of Pancratium maritimum L. one of the important medicinal plants. Petri dish and pot experiments were carried out. Seeds of Pancratium maritimum L. were soaked in Nano solution (0.1, 0.5, 1 mg/ ml) for 4, 8, 12 h. Germination parameters (germination percentage, germination velocity, speed of germination, germination energy, germination index, mean germination time, seedling shoot and root length, shoot root ratio, seedling vigor index, plant biomass and water content), alkaloids and antioxidant activity of Pancratium maritimum L. were recorded and compared between coated and uncoated seeds.ResultsOur results exhibited that chitosan nanopriming had a positive effect on some growth parameters, while it fluctuated on others. However, the data showed that most germination parameters were significantly affected in coated seeds compared to uncoated seeds. GC-MS analysis of Pancratium maritimum L. with different nanopriming treatments showed that the quantity of alkaloids decreased, but the amount of pancratistatin, lycorine and antioxidant content increased compared with the control.ConclusionsApplying chitosan nanoparticles in priming seeds might be a simple and effective way to improve the quantity of secondary metabolites of Pancratium maritimum L. valuable medicinal plant.

Molecular priming with H2O2 and proline triggers antioxidant enzyme signals in maize seedlings during drought stress

BackgroundDrought and water stress impose major limitations to crops, including Maize, as they affect the plant biology at multiple levels. Drought activates the cellular signalling machinery to maintain the osmotic and ROS homeostasis for controlling plant response and adaptation to stress. Molecular priming of seeds plays a significant role in imparting stress tolerance by helping plants to remember the stress, which improves their response when they encounter stress again. MethodsIn this study, we examined the effect of priming maize seeds with H2O2 and proline, individually or in combination, on response to drought stress. We investigated the role of molecular priming on the physiological, biochemical and molecular response of maize seedlings during drought stress. ResultsWe observed that seed-priming played a significant role in mediating stress tolerance of seedlings under drought stress as indicated by changes in growth, biochemical properties, pigment and osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant enzyme activities, gas exchange parameters and gene expression. Seed-priming resulted in reduced expression of specific miRNAs to increase target transcripts associated with synthesis of osmolytes and maintenance of ROS homeostasis for reducing potential damage to the cellular components. ConclusionsSeed-priming induced changes in the growth, biochemical properties, pigment and osmolyte accumulation, antioxidant enzyme activities, gas exchange parameters and gene expression, though the response was dependent on the genotype, as well as concentration and combination of the priming agents.

Promoting effect of biogenic AgNPs on Echinops macrochaetus for improving growth parameters and mitigating the toxic effect caused by salinity stress

Nanoparticles may serve as novel plant growth stimulators to improve plant growth as well as protect plants from abiotic stresses. In this study, biogenic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using the aqueous extract of Fagonia bruguieri and characterized using UV-visible spectroscopy, Zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The synthesized AgNPs were employed on Echinops macrochaetus as seeds priming, and plants grown in pots were exposed to salinity stress to assess the ameliorating effects based on various parameters. The growth parameters (shoot length) and biomass (shoot, root and leaves weight) decreased in E. macrochaetus exposed to salinity stress alone (40, 80 and 120 mmol/L NaCl) for 90 days. However, seed priming with a low concentration of AgNPs (40 µmol/L) improved the growth of the plant in terms of biomass, shoot length and chlorophyll content alone as well as ameliorated the toxic effect caused by salinity stress. The mitotic index measured by flowcytometry (FCM) indicated genotoxic effects in plants grown at high concentrations of NaCl (80 and 120 mmol/L) as well as plants obtained with 80 µmol/L AgNPs seed priming and exposed to 120 mmol/L NaCl. Thus, an optimum concentration of AgNPs could be used in E. macrochaetus for production of more biomass by modulating the chlorophyll content, proline and antioxidant enzyme activity.

Exogenous applications of ascorbic acid improve wheat growth, physiology and yield under salinity stress via a balance in antioxidant production and ROS scavenging

ABSTRACT Ascorbic acid (AsA) improves plant tolerance against abiotic stresses, but key mechanisms of salt tolerance by its different application modes are obscure. In this study, 5 mM AsA was applied in seed priming (SP), foliar spray (FS) and medium supplementation (MS) modes to explore their comparative effectiveness in improving salinity (170 mM) tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Galaxy-2013). For SP, seeds were primed while FS and MS were administered at tillering. One set of plants was harvested 30 days after treatment to record data for growth, pigments, leaf gas exchange and water relations, as well as shoot and root osmolytes accumulation, antioxidative defence and ionic contents. Another set was harvested at ripening to measure grain yield (GY) components. Salinity stress reduced growth, photosynthesis, water relations, antioxidants defence, enhanced free amino acids, soluble sugars, free proline and glycine betaine, hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde. The correlations heatmap revealed positive associations among growth, physiological and GY; being stronger in MS mode. All AsA modes reduced salinity damage, but MS was highly promising. Conclusively, maintenance of a balance in reactive oxygen species dousing and antioxidant production following tissue absorption of AsA in diminishing oxidative damage is a plausible mechanism of wheat salt tolerance.

Quercetin and Rutin as Tools to Enhance Antioxidant Profiles and Post-Priming Seed Storability in Medicago truncatula

Seed priming is routinely applied to improve germination rates and seedling establishment, but the decrease in longevity observed in primed seeds constitutes a major drawback that compromises long-term storability. The optimization of priming protocols able to preserve primed seeds from aging processes represents a promising route to expand the scope of seed priming. The present work explores this possibility in the model legume Medicago truncatula by testing the effectiveness of quercetin- and rutin-supplemented seed priming at improving the response to subsequent artificial aging. In comparison with a non-supplemented hydropriming protocol, supplementation with quercetin or rutin was able to mitigate the effects of post-priming aging by increasing germination percentage and speed, improving seed viability and seedling phenotype, with consistent correlations with a decrease in the levels of reactive oxygen species and an increase in antioxidant potential. The results suggest that quercetin and rutin can reduce the effects of post-priming aging by improving the seed antioxidant profiles. The present work provides novel information to explore the physiological changes associated with seed priming and aging, with possible outcomes for the development of tailored vigorization protocols able to overcome the storability constrains associated with post-priming aging processes.

Seeds Priming with Melatonin Improves Root Hydraulic Conductivity of Wheat Varieties under Drought, Salinity, and Combined Stress.

Drought and salinity stress reduce root hydraulic conductivity of plant seedlings, and melatonin application positively mitigates stress-induced damage. However, the underlying effect of melatonin priming on root hydraulic conductivity of seedlings under drought-salinity combined remains greatly unclear. In the current report, we investigated the influence of seeds of three wheat lines' 12 h priming with 100 μM of melatonin on root hydraulic conductivity (Lpr) and relevant physiological indicators of seedlings under PEG, NaCl, and PEG + NaCl combined stress. A previous study found that the combined PEG and NaCl stress remarkably reduced the Lpr of three wheat varieties, and its value could not be detected. Melatonin priming mitigated the adverse effects of combined PEG + NaCl stress on Lpr of H4399, Y1212, and X19 to 0.0071 mL·h-1·MPa-1, 0.2477 mL·h-1·MPa-1, and 0.4444 mL·h-1·MPa-1, respectively, by modulating translation levels of aquaporin genes and contributed root elongation and seedlings growth. The root length of H4399, Y1212, and X19 was increased by 129.07%, 141.64%, and 497.58%, respectively, after seeds pre-treatment with melatonin under PEG + NaCl combined stress. Melatonin -priming appreciably regulated antioxidant enzyme activities, reduced accumulation of osmotic regulators, decreased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), and increased K+ content in stems and root of H4399, Y1212, and X19 under PEG + NaCl stress. The path investigation displayed that seeds primed with melatonin altered the modification of the path relationship between Lpr and leaf area under stress. The present study suggested that melatonin priming was a strategy as regards the enhancement of root hydraulic conductivity under PEG, NaCl, and PEG + NaCl stress, which efficiently enhanced wheat resistant to drought-salinity stress.

Cyanobacterium priming of tomato and spinach nursery stimulates seedling vigor and yields

ABSTRACT Three cyanobacterial strains, Anabaena laxa C11, Nostoc carneum BF2, Anabaena doliolum BF4, producing plant growth promoting metabolites such as sugars, indole acetic acid and proteins were selected for priming seeds of three varieties of tomato and two of spinach, followed by nursery raising of seedlings in soil-less potting mixes. The performance of two tomato varieties NS2533 and NS4266, was superior, as compared to Jewel, with enhancement of 12% to 29% in terms of length and weight of root/shoots, as well as 76% more pigments. In tomato, Nostoc carneum BF2 was superior, closely followed by Anabaena laxa C11. Among the two Spinach varieties evaluated, Pusa All green responded with 15–20% significantly higher values of seedling traits, as compared to Mulayam. Vigor indices were significantly higher with the cyanobacterial priming treatments, with Anabaena laxa C11, showing 27% higher values, over control. Principal Component and Multivariate Analyses highlighted the significant correlation between chlorophyll and available N content of mix with biometrical and pigment-related attributes. Transplantation of best performing varieties of tomato -NS4266 and spinach -Pusa All green in climate-controlled polyhouse recorded significantly higher yields in the cyanobacterium-primed plants, over control. Such promising crop-cyanobacterium interactions can be explored for enhancing the productivity of nursery-raised vegetable crops.

Condicionamento de sementes com peróxido de hidrogênio atenua os danos causados pelo estresse salino em sorgo

ABSTRACT Salinity affects physiological processes, such as photosynthesis, in various agricultural crops, such as sorghum, around the world. Thus, mitigating techniques such as priming seeds with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) can increase plant tolerance to salt stress. Thus, the objective of present study was to evaluate the priming of seeds with hydrogen peroxide on gas exchange and shoot phytomass of sorghum grown under salt stress. The treatments were distributed in a randomized block design, in a 4 × 4 factorial arrangement, with four levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - (ECw- 0.3, 1.5, 3.5, and 5.5 dS m-1) and four concentrations of H2O2 (0, 6, 12, and 18 μM L-1), with three replications. The salinity of the water reduced gas exchange, shoot fresh and dry mass, in addition to shoot moisture content in sorghum plants. However, priming the seeds with H2O2 improved gas exchange and the accumulation of plant dry mass. Seed priming with H2O2 at dose of 8.2 µM increases the acclimatization of sorghum plants under salt stress.

Artificial intelligence models for validating and predicting the impact of chemical priming of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and light emitting diodes on in vitro grown industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.).

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a highly recalcitrant plant under in vitro conditions that can be overcome by employing external stimuli. Hemp seeds were primed with 2.0-3.0% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) followed by culture under different Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) sources. Priming seeds with 2.0% yielded relatively high germination rate, growth, and other biochemical and enzymatic activities. The LED lights exerted a variable impact on Cannabis germination and enzymatic activities. Similarly, variable responses were observed for H2O2 × Blue-LEDs combination. The results were also analyzed by multiple regression analysis, followed by an investigation of the impact of both factors by Pareto chart and normal plots. The results were optimized by contour and surface plots for all parameters. Response surface optimizer optimized 2.0% H2O2 × 918 LUX LEDs for maximum scores of all output parameters. The results were predicted by employing Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Random Forest (RF), and eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithms. Moreover, the validity of these models was assessed by using six different performance metrics. MLP performed better than RF and XGBoost models, considering all six-performance metrics. Despite the differences in scores, the performance indicators for all examined models were quite close to each other. It can easily be concluded that all three models are capable of predicting and validating data for cannabis seeds primed with H2O2 and grown under different LED lights.

Effect of GA3 as a priming agent on the growth of shallot (Allium ascaloncium L.) seedling

This study aimed to evaluate and analyze the effect of priming using GA3 on the growth of various shallot varieties from seeds. This pot study was conducted at Exfarm, Faculty of Agriculture, Hasanuddin University from July to September 2022. The research was arranged in factorial with a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two treatment factors. The first factor was seed priming consisting of control or no priming (S0), priming with water (S1), 25 mg L-1 GA3 (S2), 50 mg L-1 GA3 (S3) and 75 mg L-1 GA3 (S4). The second factor is the variety consisting of Tuk-Tuk (v1), Sanren F1 (v2), Lokananta (v3), and Maserati (v4). Seed performance testing is carried out by planting prime seeds in pots. Meanwhile, parameters observed included six agronomic parameters and three chlorophyll parameters. The results show that priming with GA3 at concentration of 75 mg L-1 significantly influence the plant height, number of leaves, fresh weight, chlorophyll b content, and total chlorophyll. Variety treatments recorded different responses to various parameters. The Lokananta variety recorded the highest average plant height and dry seedling weight. The Maserati variety recorded the largest average diameter of pseudo stems. Meanwhile, the interaction between GA3 at 75 mg L-1 and the Maserati variety has a significant effect on the root length of shallot seedlings. Then, the interaction between Tuk-Tuk varieties and GA3 75 mg L-1 priming gave the best effect on chlorophyll content.

Effect of Sowing Dates and Seed Priming on Agrometeorological Indices and Soil Moisture Regimes of Chickpea in North Central Plateau Zone NCPZ of Odisha

Background: field experiment entitled “Effect of sowing dates and seed priming on agrometeorological indices and soil moisture regimes of Chickpea in NCPZ of Odisha” was conducted at RRTTS, Keonjhar, Odisha, during the Rabi season for two consecutive years i.e., 2021-22 and 2022-23. Method: The field experiment was laid out in factorial RBD design with three replications and two factors. There were 3 dates of sowing in Factor A (D1-25 November, D2-5 December, D3- 15 December) and 5 moisture conservation practices in Factor B (M1- Control, M2- Seed priming with water for 8 hours, M3- Osmopriming (Seed priming with CaCl2 solution @0.5% for 8 hours), M4- Straw mulch@ 5t/ha and M5- Straw mulch@ 5t/ha +Seed priming with CaCl2 solution @0.5% for 8 hours). Seed priming controls the hydration of seeds that helps in the pre germinative metabolic activity of the seeds. So even if the soil has less moisture that will not affect the uniform and proper germination of the seeds. All together there were 15 treatment combinations. The test crop variety taken was JAKI-9218. Among the three dates of sowing, D2 (5th Dec) sowing recorded the tallest plants (41.47 cm). but were recorded in D1 (25 Nov) sowing. Early sowing on 25th November recorded the maximum number of primary and secondary branches and required a greater number of days to 50% flowering (41.8 days) and days to physiological maturity (101.1 days). Results: Among the moisture conservation practices, M5 (Straw mulch@ 5 t/ha+Seed priming with CaCl2 solution @ 0.5% for 8 hours) recorded the tallest plants, maximum number of primary and secondary branches, maximum number of days taken to 50% flowering (40.7 days) and days taken to physiological maturity (100.1 days), maximum number of pods per plant (44) and number of seeds per pod (3.62), grain yield (1812 kg/ha) and straw yield (218 kg/ha). This treatment recorded the minimum consumptive use of water (203.5 mm) and rate of moisture use (1.36 mm/day) but the moisture use efficiency was maximum (12.34 kg/ha-mm). Treatment M5 recorded the maximum growing degree days (2182°C day), heliothermal unit (15077°C day hrs), photothermal unit (22595°C day hrs) and heat use efficiency (0.94 kg/ha/°C) to reach maturity. Chickpea when combined with suitable date of sowing and moisture conservation practices for proper utilization of carry-over residual soil moisture in the rice fallows gives higher yield.

Seed Priming with Nanoencapsulated Gibberellic Acid Triggers Beneficial Morphophysiological and Biochemical Responses of Tomato Plants under Different Water Conditions

Water deficit (WD) promotes great losses in agriculture, and the development of new sustainable technologies to mitigate the effects of this stress on plants is essential. This study aimed to evaluate the morphophysiological and biochemical alterations induced by the priming of tomato seeds with different formulations in plants under field capacity and WD conditions. In the first experiment, the treatments consisted of nanoparticles of alginate/chitosan and chitosan/tripolyphosphate containing gibberellic acid (GA3) in different concentrations (0.5, 5, and 50 µg mL−1 GA3), in addition to control with deionized water. The alginate/chitosan (5 µg mL−1 GA3) provided the greatest gains in plant growth under field capacity. In addition, under WD this treatment reduced damage to photosystem II (−14%), stomatal conductance (−13%), and water loss (−38%) and increased the instantaneous carboxylation efficiency (+24%) and intrinsic water use efficiency (+12%). In the second experiment, the treatments were alginate/chitosan nanoparticles containing GA3 (NPGA3 5 µg mL−1), free GA3 (GA3 5 µg mL−1), nanoparticles without GA3 (NP), deionized water (WATER), and non-primed seeds (CONT). Under WD, GA3 and CONT maintained plant growth and lost water rapidly, reducing stomatal conductance (−87%) and net photosynthesis (−69%). In contrast, NPGA3 decreased leaf area (−44%) and increased root-to-shoot ratio (+39%) when compared to GA3, reducing water loss (−28%). Activation of protective mechanisms (e.g., superoxide dismutase and catalase activities) by WATER, NPGA3, and NP treatments also resulted in lower susceptibility to WD compared to CONT and GA3. The results highlight the positive effect of seed priming on plant response to WD, which was enhanced by the use of nanoencapsulated GA3.

Transcriptome analysis suggests the role of expansin genes in the improved germination of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) seeds after hydropriming

AbstractSunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is widely utilized for seed oil production. Priming seeds prior to sowing is a technique used to enhance the germination rate and uniformity of seedling growth. Priming times of 6 and 18 h were selected to be the optimal and extended durations, respectively. Three biological replicates per treatment were used for next‐generation sequencing via the Illumina platform. In this study, priming conditions decreased the time to 50% radicle emergence, implying earlier and more uniform germination without affecting the final germination percentage. Transcriptome analysis identified 6171 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for 0–6 h, 7241 DEGs for 0–18 h, and 1527 DEGs for 6–18 h. The number of expressed DEGs during the early hours of priming exceeded those identified during the extended priming time, suggesting more metabolic processes were taking place in the earlier priming period. Noteworthy DEGs are related to stress responses, the biosynthesis of metabolites, and the activation of antioxidants and phytohormones. Moreover, these DEGs were significantly enriched in translation, metabolic processes, and biosynthesis for the priming times of 0–6 h and 0–18 h, whereas anaerobic respiration, detection of hypoxia, and lipid transport were differentially expressed between 6 and 18 h. Furthermore, expansin genes, namely, EXPA1, EXPA9, EXPA15, EXLA3, and EXP/Lol pI 3B GAG‐pre‐integrase domain, were significantly expressed. These expansins are cell wall‐loosening proteins that are involved in the processes of physiological development in higher plants, including seed germination. The data obtained in this study contribute toward deciphering the molecular mechanisms associated with seed priming in sunflower seeds.

Nutrient Balance and Soil Fertility of Rainfed Maize-Wheat Cropping System Under Different Seed Priming, Tillage and Nutrient Management Practices

ABSTRACT Crop productivity, soil quality and fertility have been degraded due to intensive conventional tillage and poor crop management practices. Conservation tillage along with proper crop establishment methods (including seed priming, integrated nutrient management) helps in sustaining the productivity of crops, especially under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of seed priming, tillage and nutrient management practices on nutrient balance; chemical and microbial properties of soil; and productivity of maize-wheat cropping system in rainfed conditions. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three factors (tillage, seed priming and nutrient management) and control as independent treatment for general comparison of results. The findings showed that chemical and microbial properties of soil were enhanced under zero tillage+ mulch as compared to other tillage practices. However, crop productivity was higher in conventional tillage+ mulch (70.28 q/ha (maize), 35.27 q/ha (wheat)). Under nutrient management practices, integrated nutrient management proved to be better as compared to recommended dose of fertilizers. Highest production efficiency (32.8 kg ha−1 day−1) was found under CT+M,Hydro,Int. Nutrient balance (N, P, K) was found higher in treatments with integrated nutrient management.