ROLE OF SEED PRIMING TO ENHANCE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF CROP PLANTS AGAINST BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC STRESSES

Abstract

Abiotic and biotic stresses severely affect the crop’s growth and development at every stage of growth cycle. Seed priming is helpful technique to enhance seed germination and growth in stress environment. Seed priming is a control procedure followed by re-drying which will allow the seed to imbibe water stimulate the internal biological process essential for germination but this process will not permit the seed to be truly germinate. Currently many seed priming method have been used like hydro-priming, osmo-priming, halo-priming, thermo-priming, bio-priming and solid matrix priming. Various studies confirmed that seed priming has several advantages including, early emergence high water use efficiency, stand establishment, deeper roots germination in broad range of temperature and resistance against disease and environmental stresses.