Solid Matrix Priming Research Articles

Effect of Solid Matrix Priming (SMP) on Germination and Seedling Vigor in Watermelon Seed

Effect of Solid Matrix Priming (SMP) on Germination and Seedling Vigor in Watermelon Seed

Solid Matrix Priming: An Effective Technique Used for Improvement in Seed Emergence, Vigor and Seedling Growth of Vegetable Crops

Poor crop stand is one of the most common abiotic constrain faced by vegetable growers of developing countries due to production of low quality seed. Multiple factors, especially abiotic stresses and seed dormancy restrict seed germination and seedling growth. Up till now, seed priming is still considered as effective and cheapest method to enhance seed germination and to mitigate the drastic effect of abiotic stresses. Manipulation of seed hydration through solid matrix priming technique not only improves germination characteristics but also stimulates biochemical processes like restoration of metabolic activities through protein and nucleic acid synthesis (RNA and DNA), increases enzymatic activities, and improves the storage of organic substances in germinating seeds. It was also found effective in improving seedling establishment under salinity, drought, and temperature stresses by activating defence mechanisms. Therefore, this review highlights the role of solid matrix priming in improving the germination and stand establishment of vegetable crops under suboptimal conditions.

Biocontrol of Bacterial Fruit Blotch by Seed Priming with Bacillus Amyloliquefaciens and Pseudomonas Fluorescens

Bacterial fruit blotch (BFB), caused by the seed-transmitted pathogen Acidovorax citrulli, poses a serious threat to cucurbitaceous crops worldwide. In this study, two biocontrol bacteria strains, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (Ba- 2) and Pseudomonas fluorescens (2P24), with significant antagonistic activity against A. citrulli were and applied by seed priming to control BFB seed transmission. Artificially infested watermelon and melon seeds were treated with the biocontrol strains by liquid or solid matrix seed priming. The seed bio-priming effects were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Germination percentages were improved by seed priming treatments for melon, and seedling uniformity was higher for seeds primed with Ba-2 than for seeds from the other treatments for watermelon. Seedling disease incidence of untreated seeds were 6.5% for watermelon and 16.0% for melon, and water-priming resulted in similar disease progress curves as the untreated control. Seed priming with Ba-2 and 2P24 significantly reduced seedling BFB incidence for both watermelon and melon. Evaluation with naturally infested watermelon seeds primed with biocontrol strains indicated that 2P24 seed priming was more effective than Ba-2 ( P < 0.05) and 2P24 solid matrix priming, reducing the seedling disease incidence to 1.3%. Seed bio-priming has potential as an effective and eco-friendly approach for suppressing bacterial fruit blotch seed-to-seedling transmission.

Fe–Mn nanocomposites doped graphene quantum dots alleviate salt stress of Triticum aestivum through osmolyte accumulation and antioxidant defense

An investigation was carried out to evaluate the effect of graphene quantum dots (GQD) and its nanocomposites on germination, growth, biochemical, histological, and major ROS detoxifying antioxidant enzyme activities involved in salinity stress tolerance of wheat. Seedlings were grown on nutrient-free sand and treatment solutions were applied through solid matrix priming and by foliar spray. Control seedlings under salinity stress exhibited a reduction in photosynthetic pigment, sugar content, growth, increased electrolyte leakage, and lipid peroxidation, whereas iron-manganese nanocomposites doped GQD (FM_GQD) treated seedlings were well adapted and performed better compared to control. Enzymatic antioxidants like catalase, peroxidase, glutathione reductase and NADPH oxidase were noted to increase by 40.5, 103.2, 130.19, and 141.23% respectively by application of FM_GQD. Histological evidence confirmed a lower extent of lipid peroxidation and safeguarding the plasma membrane integrity through osmolyte accumulation and redox homeostasis. All of these interactive phenomena lead to an increment in wheat seedling growth by 28.06% through FM_GQD application. These findings highlight that micronutrient like iron, manganese doped GQD can be a promising nano-fertilizer for plant growth and this article will serve as a reference as it is the very first report regarding the ameliorative role of GQD in salt stress mitigation.

Seed Priming: A Key to Sustainability in Drought Stress

Abiotic stresses spot lights the field crops at all growth phases and results in significant yield losses in important crops, endangering the safety of the world's food supply. Numerous physiological, biochemical, and molecular tactics have been examined by crop researchers to battle drought stress/water limiting stress, but in the current environment, these measures are meager. It is so claimed that plants can be primed by various organic and inorganic stimulants for exceptional toughness under stressful circumstances. In order to confer tolerance, novel seed priming techniques are promising field of research in stress biology and crop stress management. Seed priming is the process of carefully hydrating seeds with germination stimulants so that pre- germinative metabolic activity can continue while the radicle's emergence is halted. The terms "hydro-priming," "osmo-priming," "halo-priming," "solid matrix priming," "bio-priming," and "hormonal priming" refer to various priming techniques. It will speed up and synchronize germination, improve plant growth and stand establishment, raise stress tolerance, improve fertilizer and water use efficiency, and have superior weed suppression effects. This review paper covers the physiological and biochemical changes through several seed priming techniques, Nano-priming and its significance in sustainable agriculture.

The effect of solid matrix priming with biostimulants on seed germination and seedling quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.) under abiotic stress conditions

The effect of solid matrix priming with biostimulants on seed germination and seedling quality of carrot (Daucus carota L.) under abiotic stress conditions

Solid matrix priming improves cauliflower and broccoli seed germination and early growth under the suboptimal temperature conditions.

Seed priming is an effective method for imparting stress tolerance to plants. This study aimed to analyze the effects of solid matrix priming (SMP) on cauliflower and broccoli seed germination and early seedling growth under suboptimal temperature conditions. The SMP method used in this study included the following steps: (1) mixing seeds with vermiculite and water at a ratio of 2:3:2.5 (w/w/v) and incubating for 2 days in the dark at 20°C; (2) drying the SM-primed seed; (3) germinating the SM-primed and the nonprimed seeds at 10, 15, 20, and 25°C; (4) analyzing the antioxidant enzyme activities of SM-primed and nonprimed germinating broccoli and cauliflower seeds in the early germination stage at 10, 15, 20, and 25°C; and (5) testing the emergence of SM-primed and nonprimed control seeds in the early spring glasshouse. The results showed that the SMP improved seed germination vigor and early seedling growth and increased the activities of peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase in the germinating cauliflower and broccoli seeds under the suboptimal temperature conditions in the early germination stage compared with nonprimed seeds. It was observed that the suboptimal temperature conditions (i.e., 10 and 15°C) suppressed SM-primed and nonprimed seed germination and early seedling growth of cauliflower and broccoli. Inside a greenhouse, the SMP improved the emergence of cauliflower and broccoli seeds during the early spring season. SMP is an effective method for improving seed germination and the emergence of cauliflower and broccoli under suboptimal temperature conditions.

Effect of Solid Matrix Priming Combined with Plant Extracts on Seedling Studies of Papaya

Effect of Solid Matrix Priming Combined with Plant Extracts on Seedling Studies of Papaya

Assessment of antifungal activity of nano-chitosan against mung bean seed borne pathogen Aspergillus flavus through solid matrix priming

Seed borne pathogens are one of the major causes of reducing crop yield worldwide. In the present investigation, the most common seed borne pathogen of mung bean, Aspergillus flavus was isolated and identified, and the inhibitory effects of different concentrations of nano-chitosan against the fungal growth and spore germination of Aspergillus flavus were evaluated for its effective management. The emergence and seedling vigor in post-primed inoculated mung bean seeds were also tested. Results clearly showed the antifungal activity of nano-chitosan against Aspergillus flavus. Nano-chitosan arrested the growth of fungal colonies and germination of spores in a dose-dependent manner. Solid matrix priming with nano-chitosan improved the biotic stress tolerance of mung bean seeds against Aspergillus flavus infection and also improved the seedling vigor measured in terms of increased root length, shoot length, fresh weight, and dry weight along with various stress tolerance indices. It was observed that among all the treatments applied, Aspergillus flavus inoculated mung bean seeds primed with 571μg / ml nano-chitosan with 10% matrix (Celite) moisture level showed the optimum antifungal activity. These observations lead to the conclusion that nano-chitosan can be effectively used as ideal priming agent in preventing seed borne fungal infections and can also improve the seedling vigor.

Matriconditioning effect on the physiological performance of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.)

Solid matrix priming (matriconditioning) permits slow seed hydration, and germination and emergence period reduction. In general, seeds need to be soaked to start their germination process. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the matriconditioning under the imbibition curve and the physiological performance of two lots of chia seeds with different qualities. The study was performed with chia seeds harvested by small-scale farmers. To estimate the imbibition curve, seeds from both lots were started in the imbibition process on a stainless-steel screen placed in plastic boxes, containing 55.5 grams of sterilized vermiculite and moisturized with distilled water at 100% of their retention capability. The imbibition curve weights were made 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 hours after the process had started. Simultaneously, in each evaluation period, seeds were submitted to the following tests: germination, first count of germination, plantlet shoot, root and total lengths, emergence velocity index and average time, and accumulated emergence. A completely randomized experimental design was used. It was possible to conclude that the beginning of phase II of germination in matriconditioned seeds varies in function of the chia seeds' lot quality. The matriconditioning contributes to the physiological performance, increasing and accelerating plantlets' emergence.

Study of Major Isoflavones in Mungbean Seedlings with Special Emphasis on Its Enhanced Antioxidant Activity After Solid Matrix Priming with Selected Elicitors Including Nano-Chitosan Under Salinity Stress

Study of Major Isoflavones in Mungbean Seedlings with Special Emphasis on Its Enhanced Antioxidant Activity After Solid Matrix Priming with Selected Elicitors Including Nano-Chitosan Under Salinity Stress

Plasma Treatment and Seed Quality Advancement: A Review

Plasma also called as ‘fourth state of matter’ encompasses ionized gas, atoms, free molecules, radicals and free electrons. Considering its discovery in late 19th century plasma is extensively used as low pressure or high pressure plasmas in many applications commercially such as microelectronic technology, textile industry, organic waste management etc. When a gas is passed through an electric field in a plasma chamber, three types of collisions are known to take place in it particularly, excitation, ionization and deposition that provide plasma its characteristic glow, ion-electron pair, reactive species respectively. Plasma treatment of different object can change their chemical and physical properties. In Seed Science and Research, many seed quality enhancement techniques are used to improve seed quality in crop plants such as, seed priming, fortification, solid matrix priming, chemical treatment, hardening etc. Plasma treatment of seeds is a unique tool that utilizes an ionized gas to modify the physical and chemical properties seed viz., wettability, porosity, water absorption, activity of antioxidant enzymes. It can also decontaminate the seed surface off micro flora and convert hydrophobic seeds to hydrophilic. It also enhances soluble sugar content, protein content and causes a reduction in lipid peroxidation. Thus plasma treatment in turn improves seed germination rate, seedling characteristics, seed physical quality and seed health.

Effects of seed priming and it#39;s duration on bitter gourd

The poor seedling problem in bitter gourd is caused by the embryo being enclosed by a thick seed coat that prevents germination by putting mechanical restrictions on embryo development. Pre-germinated bitter gourd seeds may be planted to overcome this problem. Crop priming is the process of enhancement of germination and uniform emergence of seedlings under field conditions. As it can foster vigour and crop growth and ultimately increase yields. It is a very low-cost hydration technique in which seeds are prepared with various chemicals or also with natural water. The seeds are re-dried after processing and shown in the field. For improved crop stand, germination and yield of different vegetable crops, seed priming is commonly adopted. Hydropriming, osmopriming, halopriming, solid matrix priming, biopriming and hormonal priming are different priming techniques to boost plant growth, improve stress tolerance, increase nutrient efficiency and other plant growth factors.

Seed Quality Enhancement for Improving Planting Value of Fresh and Aged Seed Lots of Chickpea

Background: Chickpea is the largest produced food legume in South Asia. It is mainly grown in dry or rainfed area, where patchy plant stand often results due to delayed and non-uniform emergence. Moreover, genotypes vary for seed germination and seedling vigour. Therefore, the study was undertaken to find most appropriate seed treatment for enhancement of planting value of desi and kabuli type chickpeas. Methods: Study was conducted at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi with fresh, 2 and 4 years stored seed lots of desi (Pusa 2028) and kabuli (Pusa 1108) varieties. The lots were compared with untreated (control) for quality and vigour parameters after giving seed enhancement treatments (SET); osmopriming, halopriming, solid matrix priming (SMP), thiram and neem khali. Result: Investigations revealed that SMP and thiram seed treatments significantly enhanced germination and field performance of fresh as well as aged seeds in these varieties. Effectiveness of treatments was found more pronounced in kabuli than desi type and thus confirmed the usefulness of SETs for poor vigour seeds. Results also showed that seed quality and vigour of both the types were significantly affected with time in storage. However, desi variety maintained satisfactory germination and field performance up to 2 years under ambient conditions of storage.

RICE SEEDLING ESTABLISHMENT AS INFLUENCED BY CULTIVARS AND SEED PRIMING WITH POTASSIUM NITRATE

Poor crop establishment is one of the major constraints to obtain the higher potential of rice, particularly in areas prone to environmental stresses. Therefore, present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of potassium nitrate on germination dynamics, seedling growth and associated physiological and biochemical events of two rice cultivars. For this purpose, various seed priming treatments were tested in lab and greenhouse. The percent concentrations of potassium nitrate were 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0 and 1.25 in both lab evaluation and greenhouse experiment. Non-primed seeds were maintained as a control for comparison. The results depicted that soaking rice seeds at higher concentrations of KNO3 could delay emergence time and final emergence (%) in both cultivars under lab and greenhouse conditions. Seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 significantly increased the stand establishment and seedling vigor attributes of both cultivars compared with other concentrations and naked rice seeds both in lab evaluation and greenhouse screening. Similarly, highest values for photosynthesis rate, evaporation rate and CO2 index were observed in experimental units receiving primed seeds with 0.75% KNO3 under greenhouse screening. Interestingly, no variance was observed among both rice cultivars. Overall, higher seed emergence, seedling vigor and associated biochemical attributes due to seed priming with 0.75% KNO3 was associated with decrease in alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDH) activities in lab and greenhouse screening.

Effect of priming regimes on seed germination of field crops

Germination, early emergence and stand establishment of crops are major yield determining factors in semi-arid and arid rainfed areas. Farmers in marginal and low input areas tend to have poor germination due to poor and shallow soils. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of priming regimes on seed germination of field crops. A study was conducted at Lupane State University, Biotechnology Laboratory in 2019. Treatments included seed priming techniques, namely hydropriming, halopriming (2% NaCl solution) osmopriming (10% PEG 6000), and solid matrix priming (18% volume/weight sand); and timing at 6, 12, 24 hours for maize and 2, 4, 6 hours for cowpea, sorghum and millet. Solid matrix priming, followed by hydropriming significantly (P<0.05) improved germination parameters (germination percentage, daily germination, peak value and germination speed) of all crops. Halopriming and osmopriming were similar in their ineffectiveness, and resulted in the least germination parameter values. Six hour solid matrix priming in 18% v/w sand was the most effective method among most crops; suggesting that solid matrix priming is an effective and possibly low cost technology, with potential to improve germination of field crops.
 Key words: Seed hydration, semi-arid, solid matrix priming

Seed Priming: An Approach to Enhance Weed Competitiveness and Productivity in Aerobic Rice: A Review

Growing rice under aerobic soil conditions is a promising water-wise technology under the context of ever-mounting water scarcity, but it is subject to poor stand establishment and high weed pressure. This invites severe competition between weeds and rice, thus reducing the crop yields on an average of 50-60 per cent. Early weed control is essential in aerobic rice. Therefore, any effort to mitigate the ill effect of crop-weed competition in the early stages of crop growth will ultimately enhance yield of aerobic rice. So, ‘seed priming’ is one of the best options to manage crop-weed competition in the early stages of crop growth. Seed priming is an approach to add moisture to seeds allowing seeds to be hydrated partially without radicle emergence Beneficial effects of seed priming such as higher germination uniformity, better allometric attributes, rapid stand establishment and vigorous early plant growth were important components for weed competitiveness in aerobic rice. Higher and synchronized emergence of primed seeds can ensure vigorous crop stand with rapid canopy development giving rice plants a preliminary advantage over weeds. Different seed priming methods/ priming agents Viz. hydro, osmo, halo, bio, solid matrix priming have been found effective in increasing the vigour and yield of aerobic rice. Therefore, seed priming is supposed to play a significant role in weed suppression. Seed priming also enhances the grain yield of rice mainly due to more vigorous seedlings resulting in earlier and enhanced resource capture, higher numbers of panicle-bearing tillers due to low mortality of seedlings, improved nutrient and moisture supply.

Seed Biopriming– A Review

There are various seed priming methods such as hydro priming, osmo priming, solid matrix priming, hormo-priming, chemo-priming, nutri-priming and biopriming being useful for enhancing the seed germination, seedling vigour and to overcome abiotic stress. Moreover to these advantages, of all priming methods only biopriming method gives an extra advantage of biotic stress management and thus gain special attention. Solubilisation or mobilization of soil macro and micronutrients, siderophore production, induction of plant growth promoting activities, induction of useful biochemicals, phytoalexin and defense-related enzymes and induced systemic resistance are the mechanisms involved in seed biopriming. Range of fungal or bacterial bio agents viz., Azotobacter, Rhizobium, Arthrobacter, Agrobacterium, Azospirillum, Enterobacter, Streptomyces, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Klebsiella, PSB, Pseudomonas fluorescence, Trichoderma viride, Trichoderma harzianum and Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorhiza, whether they are biofertilizer or biopesticide, may be useful as biopriming agents. Seed biopriming is useful in almost all the crops over the globe and is an eco-friendly substitute to chemical fungicides.

Impact of sugar beet seed priming using the SMP method on the properties of the pericarp

BackgroundThis study determined the effects of two solid matrix priming methods on changes in the characteristics of two lots of the same variety of sugar beet fruits that differ in the level of vigour.ResultsSeed treatment within each level of vigour did not significantly affect helium and apparent density, total pore volume and total porosity. However, there was a tendency to increase porosity due to priming. This is probably why seed priming significantly increased mesopore diameter in both high and low vigour seeds. These changes increased the water content in the pericarp and the seeds and increased the water potential during germination. The high level of electrical conductivity of the fruit extracts was associated with low seed vigour. Low vigour resulted in higher humidity of the pericarp and decreased seed moisture and was also associated with lower water potential of the pericarp and seeds.ConclusionsA significant difference in the water content in the pericarp and seeds was indicative of imbibition and problems with water flow between these centres, which resulted in a low water diffusion coefficient of the pericarp. This low water diffusion coefficient was correlated with the prolongation of the seed germination time.

Improvisation of salinity stress response in mung bean through solid matrix priming with normal and nano-sized chitosan

Nano particles open up a new avenue in crop science because of their unique physicochemical properties. Chitosan is preferred as priming agent in nano-form due to its biodegradability and non toxicity. Prepared nano-chitosan was characterized by Dynamic light scattering study, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy study and scanning electron microscopy. In present study the morphological, physiological and biochemical responses with an emphasis on several oxidative stress markers like proline, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents of mung bean seedlings to 0, 4 and 8 dS/m salt stress conditions after Solid Matrix Priming (SMP) using the elicitors like nano-chitosan, chitosan and water were studied. The activities of different antioxidant enzymes like superoxide dismutase, catalase and oxidative stress markers like proline, H2O2 and MDA increased considerably over water control in accordance with salt stress gradient. However, SMP with nano-chitosan showed significant improvement showing reduction in H2O2 and MDA contents over control leading to the better growth, increased chlorophyll content and metabolism. Thus, our study shows that SMP with both normal and nano sized chitosan will be able to overcome the adverse effect of salt stress in mung bean seedlings allowing the activation of their defense mechanisms for better protection against salt stress.