Effects of Seed Priming on Vitality and Preservation of Pepper Seeds

Abstract

Seed priming is a method for improving seed vigor, which can improve seed germinability, but the disappearance of positive priming effects and decrease of seed longevity during storage may limit its application. To determine the effect of priming on hot pepper seeds and the time during which priming effects can be maintained, it is necessary to monitor and study the variability of primed seeds during storage. In this study, several priming treatments with 3% KNO3, 20% PEG, or 3% KNO3 + 20% PEG and up to 8 months of storage of primed seeds were conducted on seeds of pepper strains No.63, No.73, and No.101. Germinability was improved by priming treatment. The germination percentage of primed seeds did not vary compared to non-primed ones, seeds germinated quickly and had strengthened emergence, especially for those primed with 3% KNO3 solution, which germinated significantly faster and the seedlings grew stronger. During the 8-month storage process, the beneficial effects of priming disappear after 6 months, beyond which the performance of primed seeds is worse than non-primed seeds. After 8 months of storage, the viability of primed pepper seeds dropped sharply. In general, preservation at −4 °C can retain the priming effects to the greatest degree and prevent the seed from losing viability for up to 6 months. Resistance to aging differed across varieties, with No.101 pepper seeds more resistant to aging than the other two varieties, regardless of priming treatment.

Effects of Seed Priming on Mitigating the Negative Effects of Increased Salinity in Two Varieties of Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

“…Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of salt stress have enabled the development of approaches to induce plant defense mechanisms using beneficial molecules or microorganisms at different growth stages of crops to increase the salt tolerance of crops and mitigate the negative effects of soil salinity. One of these approaches is seed priming [5]. Salt stress is one of the limiting factors in crop food yield production, and prolonged exposure to salt stress can result in crop loss [6].…”

“…One of the commonly used methods is the application of different molecules at the seed level, called seed priming, which relies on the controlled hydration of the seed to take up water and trigger metabolism before germination, which involves the activation of enzymes, metabolite build-up, and other processes that contribute to shortening the lag time during germination [9][10][11]. Seed priming includes different types, depending on the method/compound used: hydropriming (water), halopriming (inorganic salt), osmopriming (osmotic solution), hormonal priming (phytohormones), biopriming (microorganisms), and priming with nanoparticles [5].…”

Seed priming of stored seeds on seed germination, vegetative performance, flowering, and proline content in chili under water stress condition

“…Pusa Jwala produced the greatest results in terms of seedling development and germination [14]. Furthermore, [15] and [16] revealed that PEG osmo-priming can control metabolic and antioxidant activities. Additionally, [17] said that the suggested osmotic potential (s) values to promote "Piqun" chili seed germination and seedling establishment should be between 1.0 and 1.5 MPa, while the priming duration should be between 48 and 72 h. Plant tolerance to drought is accomplished physiologically through the accumulation of proline compounds, which operate as osmoregulatory and osmoprotectant chemicals.…”