Recent advances in abiotic stress tolerance of plants through chemical priming: An overview

Abstract

Plants under natural conditions often face multiple environmental constraints in terms of submergence, temperature extremes, salinity, and drought stress. Plant growth and productivity is negatively influenced by these abiotic stresses. Presently, a variety of approaches are being used to overcome abiotic stresses in plants. Recently, seed soaking with various priming agents has emerged as a promising strategy to induce tolerance in plants against abiotic stresses. In seed priming, seeds are treated with synthetic or natural compounds prior to germination so as to initiate specific physiological state in plants. Seed priming could also be defined as physiological state which enables plants to more quickly respond to abiotic stresses. Plants raised from seeds treated with various priming agents tend to show greater abiotic stress tolerance over unprimed seeds. Induction of abiotic stress tolerance through priming is an intricate process that involves various metabolic events. Primed seeds show early and uniform germination and seedling emergence. Seed priming enables plants to survive adverse environmental conditions and gives appropriate yield. In this book chapter, we have discussed a wide range of chemical which are extensively being used for seed priming.