Molecular dynamics of seed priming at the crossroads between basic and applied research

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Physiology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Climate change and global crises threaten food security, necessitating innovations in the agri-food sector.
• Seed priming, a pre-sowing treatment, boosts seed vigor, germination, and stress tolerance, supporting sustainable food production.
• Current limitations in understanding seed pre-germinative metabolism hinder the full exploitation of seed priming technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an updated review of scientific and technical knowledge on seed priming.
• To explore the molecular dynamics and metabolic pathways affected by seed priming.
• To identify novel seed quality hallmarks through applied research on primed seeds.

Main Methods:

• Review of current scientific literature on seed priming.
• Analysis of metabolic pathways, gene expression, and metabolite changes during the seed rehydration-dehydration cycle.
• Identification of molecular mechanisms underlying seed responses to priming treatments.

Main Results:

• Seed priming modulates pre-germinative metabolism, impacting germination and stress resilience.
• Understanding molecular responses to priming is key to optimizing protocols.
• Primed seeds offer potential for identifying new seed quality markers.

Conclusions:

• The full potential of seed priming remains untapped due to limited knowledge of molecular mechanisms.
• Further research into the molecular basis of seed priming is essential for developing next-generation techniques.
• Optimized seed priming is vital for enhancing crop productivity and ensuring global food security in a changing environment.