Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Seed priming with H₂O₂ enhanced germination, growth, and water relations of wheat under salt stress
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Orthy Mariam Akter, Baque Md. Abdullahil, Shawon Tanzena Akter, Masud Abdul Awal Chowdhury
Research Articles | Published: 08 January, 2026
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Keywords: Wheat, Salt stress, Hydrogen peroxide, Seed priming, Stress memory, Germination traits
Abstract
Global wheat production has decreased significantly due to salt stress, particularly affecting germination and early seedling development. This study examined the effectiveness of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a seed-priming agent in mitigating the adverse effects of salt stress on wheat germination and early seedling growth. Seeds of the wheat genotype ESWYT 5 was primed with 50 mM H₂O₂ for 9 h and subsequently subjected to three salinity treatments (50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl) for 7 days. Results revealed that salt stress substantially inhibited both germination and seedling development, with the most pronounced reductions occurring at 150 mM NaCl. Germination was reduced by 15%, while root and shoot fresh weights (FW) declined by 39% and 37%, respectively. Similarly, root and shoot dry weights (DW) decreased by 42% and 25%. The seedling vigor index (SVI) dropped by 30%. In addition, both relative water content (RWC) and water retention capacity (WRC) declined significantly, with reductions of 11% and 28%, respectively. However, H₂O₂ seed priming (50 mM for 9 h) significantly improved germination and seedling performance in wheat under salinity. At 100 mM NaCl, primed seeds exhibited a 3% higher germination rate and an 8% increase in shoot length compared to non-primed seeds. The seedling vigor index improved by 5%, while the relative water content rose by 2% under 50 mM NaCl, indicating enhanced water retention capacity. Among the tested salinity levels, wheat seedlings primed with 50 mM H₂O₂ demonstrated the best performance under 50 mM NaCl stress. These quantitative gains affirm the physiological benefits of optimized H₂O₂ priming in mitigating salt stress during early wheat growth.
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Author Information
Department of Agronomy, Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh