The effect of seed priming on yield and germination properties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd)

Seed priming is a widely used pre-germination technique that enhances sprouting efficiency, synchrony, and the initial development of plantlets, particularly under suboptimal environmental conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different seed priming treatments on the germination, growth, and yield performance of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) through a series of laboratory, greenhouse, and field experiments conducted during the 2024 cropping season. The laboratory experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) with four replications. Treatments included potassium nitrate (5% w/w), potassium chloride (1% w/w), zinc sulfate (6% w/w), gibberellic acid (30 mg.kg⁻¹), polyethylene glycol 6000 (10% v/v), salicylic acid (200 mg. L⁻¹), humic acid (54 mg. L⁻¹), hydropriming (distilled water), and a non-primed control. The same treatments were evaluated in a greenhouse trial (CRD with four replications) and a field trial (randomized complete block design with three replications). The overall results of the first experiment showed that treatments of potassium chloride, hydropriming, potassium nitrate, and gibberellic acid had positive effects on the germination characteristics of quinoa seeds. The greenhouse experiment also clearly demonstrated the superiority of potassium chloride and gibberellic acid treatments. In the field experiment, salicylic acid and potassium chloride treatments led to the highest economic yield. Based on the combined results of the experiments in this study, priming quinoa seeds with potassium chloride and salicylic acid is recommended.