Seed priming mitigates high salinity impact on germination of bread wheat (

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Plant Physiology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Salinity is a major threat to crop production, reducing yield traits.
• Seed priming is a cost-effective method to enhance germination under stress.
• Understanding wheat's response to salinity and priming is crucial for food security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of gibberellic acid, calcium chloride, and mannitol priming on bread wheat seed germination under high salinity.
• To investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying priming's mitigation of salt stress effects.
• To assess genotypic variations in wheat's response to salinity and priming treatments.

Main Methods:

• Three bread wheat cultivars were primed with gibberellic acid, calcium chloride, or mannitol.
• Seeds were subjected to high salinity conditions (200 mM NaCl).
• Germination potential, imbibition, germination time, uniformity, vigor, and ion accumulation were measured.

Main Results:

• Salt stress significantly repressed seed imbibition and germination but priming enhanced uniformity and vigor.
• Priming alleviated salt-induced germination disruption; gibberellic acid was the most effective.
• Priming treatments differentially affected water status, ionic imbalance, and seed reserve mobilization.
• Calcium chloride priming attenuated ionic imbalance by limiting sodium accumulation.
• Primed seeds showed less impairment in carbohydrate and protein mobilization under salt stress.

Conclusions:

• Seed priming, particularly with gibberellic acid, effectively mitigates salt stress damage to wheat seed germination.
• Different priming agents offer distinct benefits related to water status, ion balance, and nutrient mobilization.
• Wheat cultivars exhibit varying tolerance to salinity, with significant genotypic differences observed in response to priming.