Improving Crop Resistance to Abiotic Stresses Through Seed Invigoration

This chapter discusses the role of seed invigoration in crop resistance to abiotic stresses. The development of plant genotypes with high abiotic stress tolerance is a promising strategy for overcoming low crop yields in ever-changing climatic conditions and issues with food security in developed and developing countries. When planted in the field, primed seeds usually germinate quickly and evenly under stressful conditions. Osmoprimed seed improves crop performance under suboptimal growth conditions by enhancing germination, antioxidant activities, and osmolyte accumulation, reducing lipid peroxidation and damage by reactive oxygen species, and enhancing gene expression/transcription factors involved in stress signaling. Osmopriming with mannitol and hydropriming improved seedling growth and antioxidant activities and reduced lipid peroxidation in alfalfa under salt stress. Halopriming involves soaking seeds in an aerated solution of inorganic salts with a low water potential to control water imbibition and prevent radicle protrusion; the seeds are then dried to closer to their original weight.