Akram Saba, Khan Abdul Rehman, Junaid Jamshaid Ali
Plant Breeding and Genetics Division, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology College, Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (NIAB-C, PIEAS), Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):22991. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-04548-6.
The seed sector and end users are encountering various problems, such as substandard and non-certified tomato seed production, which has resulted in reduced yield. Seed priming is a promising method to enhance germination, vigor, stress tolerance and yield under challenging environmental conditions. Therefore, to mitigate the above-stated problem, a study was designed to improve the seed quality of two tomato genotypes (i.e. AVTO1219 and Naqeeb) by enhancing the germination performance, seedling growth and biochemical parameters under controlled conditions. Three distinct priming techniques, including halopriming (KNO, CaCl), biopriming (Chitosan) and osmo-priming (Polyethylene glycol) were employed, each of which was applied at three different concentrations. The results indicated that halopriming with CaCl (0.5%, 0.75% and 1%) significantly improved germination attributes, seedling vigor and biochemical attributes (chlorophyll and carotene content), compared to other treatments and control. A strong positive correlation was observed among most of the traits, except mean germination time, root-to-shoot ratio, and carotenoids. Multi-trait genotype-ideotype distance index (MGIDI) identified CaCl priming as the most effective treatment for both genotypes. Overall, CaCl and KNO priming positively influenced the seed performance, thus enhancing resilience and adaptability against adverse environments. These findings highlight the potential of seed priming to support the development of stress-tolerant and high-yielding tomato varieties.
种子部门和终端用户正面临着各种问题，比如番茄种子生产存在质量不合格和未经认证的情况，这导致了产量下降。种子引发是一种很有前景的方法，可在具有挑战性的环境条件下提高发芽率、活力、抗逆性和产量。因此，为了缓解上述问题，开展了一项研究，旨在通过在可控条件下提高发芽性能、幼苗生长和生化参数，来提升两个番茄基因型（即AVTO1219和Naqeeb）的种子质量。采用了三种不同的引发技术，包括盐引发（硝酸钾、氯化钙）、生物引发（壳聚糖）和渗透引发（聚乙二醇），每种技术都以三种不同浓度施用。结果表明，与其他处理和对照相比，用氯化钙（0.5%、0.75%和1%）进行盐引发显著改善了发芽特性、幼苗活力和生化特性（叶绿素和类胡萝卜素含量）。除平均发芽时间、根冠比和类胡萝卜素外，大多数性状之间都观察到了很强的正相关。多性状基因型-理想型距离指数（MGIDI）确定氯化钙引发是两种基因型最有效的处理方法。总体而言，氯化钙和硝酸钾引发对种子性能有积极影响，从而增强了对不利环境的恢复力和适应性。这些发现凸显了种子引发在支持耐逆性和高产番茄品种开发方面的潜力。
