Improving Crops leveraging Seed Priming and Coating
Mahdi Ghiyasi (Department of plant production and genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University)
Optimal germination and field establishment is one of the most important preconditions for success in the production of crops that are propagated by seeds. Due to many reasons, including biotic and abiotic stresses in the seedbed, poor storage, and poor vigor, germination does not occur well. Numerous methods have been proposed to improve germination, seedling growth and better field establishment. Seed priming and seed coating are the most successful and cost-effective of these methods. There are several types of seed priming methods. In a lot of methods, the seeds are placed in water, water-based solutions or various suspensions, etc. before sowing to absorb water. This activates many of the physiological and biochemical reactions necessary for germination. However, the water uptake process is often stopped before the radical emergence and the seeds are sown after drying. Of course, some other methods of seed priming have also been proposed by researchers that use other mechanisms to increase seed vigor. Biophysical and homeopathic primings fall into this category. The use of seed priming in many cases not only improves germination and better field establishment but also increases the quantity and quality of the harvested crop. Seed coating is also a very effective way to improve crop production. In this method, the seeds are covered with various materials, which mainly include nutrients, fungicides, and pesticides growth stimulants, etc. This improves germination, creates a uniform plant stand, and reduces damage to many types of stress. In some cases, seed coating techniques are used to create a uniform shape in fine seeds and to work with them easily. Seed coatings and priming are becoming prevalent for a number of reasons, including the use of marginal lands, the spread of environmental stresses due to various farm pollution, and climate change. In this presentation, brief explanations about seed priming and seed coating and their different methods will be discussed.
Keywords: Germination, Seedling growth, Marginal lands, Vigor, Uniform plant stand.
Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 12h00-13h00 (Lisbon, Portugal time)