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Seed priming is controlled hydration of seeds to a level that allow pre-germinative metabolic activity to continue, but interrupt the emergence of the radicle. Seed priming improves seed performance, ensures uniformity and better establishment, enhances the yield in diverse environments, greater tolerance to environmental stress and helps to overcome dormancy. Change in seed water content, cell cycle regulation, modification of seed ultrastructure, management of oxidative stress and reserve mobilization are the major physiological and biochemical changes takes places during seed priming. Priming methods adopted should be simple and affordable for its easy spread and adaptability. Seed priming should be influenced by factors such as light, aeration, temperature, time and seed quality. Different methods of priming are hydropriming, osmopriming, halopriming, solid matrix priming, biopriming and hormonal priming. Seed priming had significant effect on agriculture. It will hasten and synchronize the germination, enhances the plant growth, have better stress resistance, increase the use efficiency of nutrients and water and have better weed suppression effect. The review paper discusses about seed priming, physiological and biochemical changes in seed priming, different methods of seed priming and its role in sustainable agriculture.

High-quality seed of improved genotypes is a critical key to well attract the consumers. Therefore, a two-year laboratory experiment was carried out at Department of Seed Science and Technology, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India in 2018 and 2019 in a triplicated factorial completely randomized design to determine the quality parameters of the newly produced seeds from plants of six rapeseed-mustard genotypes (Anushka and Sanchita (rapeseed), TBM-204 and TBM-143 (yellow seed coated mustard), Kranti and Pusa Bold (black seed coated mustard)) grown under five seed priming (KH 2 PO 4 (0.15 mol), KNO 3 (0.1 mol), polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 (−0.3 MPa), distilled water, and dry seed). Pusa Bold was recognized to have greater germination percentage under application of KH 2 PO 4 (86.32%). Further, KH 2 PO 4 registered high root length (TBM-204) and seedlings fresh (TBM-204) and dry weights (Pusa Bold). Pusa Bold under application of KH 2 PO 4  also expressed the highest soluble protein (23.05%), while Anushka had maximum oil content under seed treatment with KH 2 PO 4 (46.30%) as well as lowest electrical conductivity (0.91 µS m − 1 g − 1 ). Additionally, KH 2 PO 4 had more impact on Pusa Bold regarding α- amylase activity, while TBM-143 treated with KH 2 PO 4 recorded highest peroxidase activity. So, using KH 2 PO 4 to prime Pusa Bold seeds can be an effective way to enhance germination, seedling vigour, and biochemical characteristics, which will increase oilseed crop productivity and quality. By encouraging sustainable agriculture and raising crop production, this strategy supports the UN sustainable development goal (SDG) 2 (zero hunger). Additionally, it meets SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) through sustainable resource management and decreased environmental effect by optimizing input consumption and improving seed performance without genetic modification or excessive chemical use.

Nanofertilizers are increasingly explored for sustainable micronutrient delivery in agriculture. Pre-treating seeds with nanofertilizers prior to planting (i.e., seed priming) reduces concerns about nanoparticle (NP) fertilizer non-target dispersion; however, priming formulations and concentrations must be carefully selected to avoid germination inhibition and toxicity. Here we investigate changes in corn seed germination and seedling development after seed priming with ZnO NPs, ZnO bulk and ZnCl2. To evaluate the effects sterile seeds were immersed in priming solutions of 0, 20, 40, 80, 160 mg L−1 Zn for the three Zn sources. Following an 8 h priming the seeds were evaluated for germination and vigor for 5 days on germination paper. Root and shoot lengths were measured as well as fresh and dry biomass. Compared to the control, the ZnO NP and ZnCl2 seed priming promoted beneficial effects. ZnO NP seed-priming exhibited a concentration dependent profile in improving seedling growth, with greatest benefit around 80 mg L−1, providing 17%, 25% and 12% higher values than control for germination, root length, and dry biomass production, respectively. In contrast, seeds primed with bulk ZnO did not differ from the control. These findings support NP-seed priming as an alternative to delivery of essential micronutrients, such as zinc, to corn seedlings.

Though seed priming has been emerged as an effective and pragmatic approach, efforts are being made to discover and optimize the new priming agents which are cheaper and easily accessible to the farmers. Here, we established two independent experiments, to ascertain the role of aspirin priming in salinity tolerance of wheat. In the first experiment, various concentrations of aspirin (125, 250, 375, and 500 ppm) were examined for emergence and seedling growth of wheat. A non-primed control, hydropriming, and hydrogen peroxide priming treatments were also maintained for comparison. Among the different treatments, seeds primed with 125 and 250 ppm aspirin depicted better emergence, vigorous seedling growth, and higher starch metabolism. Therefore, these treatments were further used in the second experiment under salinity stress (10 dS m−1). Salinity stress caused delayed and erratic emergence hampered the shoot and root growth, chlorophyll contents, and enhanced the lipid peroxidation and phenolics content in wheat seedlings. However, wheat seed priming particularly with aspirin effectively alleviated the negative effects of salinity on most of the observed parameters. Aspirin priming also significantly enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase), and reduced oxidative stress in wheat seedlings. Vigorous growth and greater salinity tolerance of wheat seedlings derived from aspirin primed seeds were related with better starch metabolism, strong antioxidative defense system, and lower lipid peroxidation.

Pre-sowing seed priming is one of the methods used to improve the performance of tomato plants under salt stress, but its effect photosynthesis, yield, and quality have not yet been well investigated. This experiment aimed to alleviate the impact of sodium chloride stress on the photosynthesis parameters of tomato cv. Micro−Tom (a dwarf Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants exposed to salt stress conditions. Each treatment combination consisted of five different sodium chloride concentrations (0 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM, and 200 mM) and four priming treatments (0 MPa, −0.4 MPa, −0.8 MPa, and −1.2 MPa), with five replications. Microtome seeds were subjected to polyethylene glycol (PEG6000) treatments for 48 hours for priming, followed by germination on a moist filter paper, and then transferred to the germination bed after 24 h. Subsequently, the seedlings were transplanted into the Rockwool, and the salinity treatments were administered after a month. In our study salinity significantly affected tomato plants’ physiological and antioxidant attributes. Primed seeds produced plants that exhibited relatively better photosynthetic activity than those grown from unprimed seeds. Our findings indicated that priming doses of −0.8 MPa and −1.2 MPa were the most effective at stimulating tomato plant photosynthesis, and biochemical contents under salinity-related conditions. Moreover, primed plants demonstrated relatively superior fruit quality features such as fruit color, fruit Brix, sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose), organic acids, and vitamin C contents under salt stress, compared to non-primed plants. Furthermore, priming treatments significantly decreased the malondialdehyde, proline, and hydrogen peroxide content in plant leaves. Our results suggest that seed priming may be a long-term method for improving crop productivity and quality in challenging environments by enhancing the growth, physiological responses, and fruit quality attributes of Micro-Tom tomato plants under salt stress conditions.

Seed priming studies commonly emphasize growth and physiological responses, yet ionomic regulation and tissue-specific nutrient allocation under salinity stress remain poorly explored, particularly in underutilized crops such as Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.). This study investigated whether Mg(NO3)2 seed priming, previously shown to enhance salt tolerance, is associated with consistent ionomic patterns in contrasting Bambara groundnut genotypes (BGN-14 and BGN-25). Seeds were primed with 0.03% Mg(NO3)2 and grown under control or saline conditions (200 mM NaCl) for five weeks. Shoot and root tissues were analyzed for macro- and micronutrient composition using ICP-OES. In BGN-14, salinity caused a marked reduction in shoot fresh weight (−49.5%, p < 0.05), whereas Mg(NO3)2 priming largely mitigated this effect under salinity (−0.4%, p > 0.05). Root fresh weight declined numerically under salt stress (−70.1%) and primed + salt conditions (−45.5%), but these changes were not statistically significant. Shoot dry weight increased significantly in primed plants (+83.5%, p < 0.05), while salinity reduced SDW (−58.4%); primed + salt plants maintained SDW near control levels (+2.6%). In BGN-25, root biomass was unaffected by treatments, whereas salinity significantly reduced shoot biomass relative to primed plants, with a consistent trend of primed > control > primed + salt > salt. Salinity increased the Na+/K+ ratio, particularly in roots. In BGN-14, the root Na+/K+ ratio increased significantly from 1.07 to 4.49 (p < 0.05), indicating enhanced Na+ accumulation, while shoot ratios increased non-significantly. BGN-25 showed a more moderate increase in shoot ratios and a pronounced rise in root ratios. Principal component analysis revealed distinct nutrient clustering, with Na, Fe, and Al loading strongly under salinity, while Ca, K, Mg, and Cu aligned with improved physiological performance. Although differences between salt and primed + salt treatments were often not statistically significant, several ion ratios and nutrient relationships were numerically enhanced under Mg(NO3)2 priming. This study builds upon earlier physiological findings (where BGN-14 consistently exhibited a stronger positive response to Mg(NO3)2 priming, outperforming BGN-25 under salt stress) and provides exploratory, hypothesis-generating evidence that Mg(NO3)2 priming may contribute to salinity tolerance through coordinated ionomic adjustments, including altered Na+ allocation and improved nutrient balance, rather than complete Na+ exclusion. These findings highlight the relevance of ionomic responses in understanding stress adaptation in underutilized legume crops.

Insufficient stand establishment at early growth stages in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) due to drought stress is a major problem that limits overall efficiency and yield of crop. Priming of seed is an effective method for raising seed performance and improving tolerance of crops to abiotic stresses especially drought. The seeds of two local wheat cultivars (Kohistan-97 and Pasban-90) were soaked in distilled water or sodium selenate solutions of 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM for 1/2 or 1 h at 25 °C and later re-dried to their original moisture levels before sowing. One-hour priming significantly increased root length stress tolerance index, dry matter stress tolerance index, and total biomass of seedlings; however, no significant effect of changing duration of Se seed priming was observed on plant height stress tolerance index and shoot/root ratio. Among cultivars, Kohistan-97 was found to be more responsive to Se seed treatment as 1 h priming at 100 μM significantly increased its total biomass by 43 % as compared to control treatment. Although biomass of seedlings was not affected with Se seed priming under normal conditions, but it increased significantly with increase in rates of Se under drought stress conditions. One-hour priming at 75 μM increased the total sugar content and total free amino acids in both wheat cultivars. A more significant decrease in soluble proteins of seedlings was observed by 1 h priming than 1/2 h priming under drought stress conditions.

Deterioration of seeds is an important problem leading to low germination and uneven crop establishment causing poor crop growth and productivity. Soil salinity is another factor limiting crop cultivation. Spermidine (Spd) is a compound widely reported for diminishing adverse effects of salt stress in plants. In this study, the effects of Spd priming on normal and deteriorated rice seeds were investigated under salt stress during germination and young seedling stages. Rice seeds were primed with H2O and Spd solutions for 24 h before germination. All rice seeds were grown in Petri dishes containing 5 ml of deionized water with 0 (control) or 150 mM NaCl (salt treatment) for 1-10 d. The results showed that priming groups had higher germination percentage (GP) and germination index (GI) in both normal and deteriorated seeds. Moreover, deteriorated seeds primed with 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mM Spd showed significantly higher GP and GI than H2O-primed and non-primed seeds. During early hours of hydration, Spd-primed seeds produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) faster and at higher level than non-priming and H2O priming groups in both control and saline conditions. Earlier accumulation of ROS was associated with more rapid germination. In young seedlings, salinity stress caused a marked decrease in growth and increased membrane damage indicated by higher malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL). Conversely, Spd priming increased growth and reduced membrane damage of rice seedlings established from normal and deteriorated seeds under salt stress. The finding suggested that Spd priming can effectively improve germination of deteriorated seeds and enhance seedling growth under control and salt stress conditions.

Water stress seriously impacts agro-systems worldwide, severely affecting plant growth and crop productivity. Radio-priming agents such as lasers can induce stress tolerance in plants due to their physiological roles in growth and development. The potential protective role of He–Ne laser pretreatment (i.e., one, two and five min at 630 nm) was evaluated in germination and growth of two wheat varieties, FSD-2008 and Anaj-2017, under water-stressed (50% field capacity) environments. Drought and laser priming significantly affected the growth (shoot and shoot fresh and dry weight and lengths), grain yield (number of total and fertile tillers and 100-grain weight), biochemical attributes (total soluble proteins and total free amino acids), and ionic concentration of both tested wheat varieties. In this study, the 2 min laser priming treatments were most effective for protecting wheat plants from drought stress. While the prolonged treatment duration significantly inhibited growth. We conclude that laser pretreatment assisted wheat plants in sustaining biomass assimilation, growth and yield formation by protecting their pigments and key metabolites from drought-induced oxidative injury. This study suggested that 2 min of laser priming had a much better result than other time duration, i.e., 1 and 5 min of laser priming.

In developing countries, orphan legumes stand at the forefront in the struggle against climate change. Their high nutrient value is crucial in malnutrition and chronic diseases prevention. However, as the ‘orphan’ definition suggests, their seed systems are still underestimated and seed production is scanty. Seed priming is an effective, sustainable strategy to boost seed quality in orphan legumes for which up-to-date guidelines are required to guarantee reliable and reproducible results. How far are we along this path? What do we expect from seed priming? This brings to other relevant questions. What is the socio-economic relevance of orphan legumes in the Mediterranean Basin? How to potentiate a broader cultivation in specific regions? The case study of the BENEFIT-Med (Boosting technologies of orphan legumes towards resilient farming systems) project, developed by multidisciplinary research networks, envisions a roadmap for producing new knowledge and innovative technologies to improve seed productivity through priming, with the long-term objective of promoting sustainability and food security for/in the climate-sensitive regions. This review highlights the existing drawbacks that must be overcome before orphan legumes could reach the state of ‘climate-ready crops’. Only by the integration of knowledge in seed biology, technology and agronomy, the barrier existing between research bench and local agricultural fields may be overcome, generating high-impact technical innovations for orphan legumes. We intend to provide a powerful message to encourage future research in line with the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.