Seed Priming and Biopriming in Two Squash Landraces (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) from Tunisia: A Sustainable Strategy to Promote Germination and Alleviate Salt Stress

In recent years, seed priming has gained interest, with researchers aiming to enhance seed germination and early growth, especially under abiotic stress conditions. In this study, seeds from two squash landraces (<i>Cucurbita maxima</i> Duchesne; i.e., Galaoui large seeds (Galaoui hereafter) and Batati green (Batati hereafter)) were subjected to different priming methods ((a) 0.3% and 0.4% KNO₃ (halopriming); (b) 0.1% and 0.2% GA₃ (hormopriming); (c) inoculation with <i>Trichoderma</i> spp. (<i>T. harzianum</i>, <i>T. viride</i>, and <i>T. virens</i>), <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>, and <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> (biopriming) in order to promote germination parameters and seedling growth under salinity stress (0, 100, and 200 mM of NaCl). Our findings indicate the better performance of primed seeds compared to the untreated ones in terms of germination and seedling growth traits, although a varied response depending on the priming method and the landrace was observed. The highest germination percentage (GP) and the lowest mean germination time (MGT) were observed in 0.4% KNO₃-primed seeds. The positive effects of 0.4% KNO₃ were also depicted in all traits related to seedling growth and the seedling vigor index (SVI), indicating its effectiveness as a priming agent in squash seeds. Under salinity stress conditions, priming with 0.4% KNO₃ significantly improved the germination and seedling growth traits for both landraces, while the application of 0.2% GA₃ at high salinity significantly improved photosynthetic quantum yield (F_v/F_m ratio). Regarding the effects of biopriming in germination and seedling growth traits, our results indicate that <i>T. harzianum</i> and <i>B. subtilis</i> were the most effective bioagents in promoting germination and seedling growth in Galaoui and Batati seeds, respectively. In conclusion, our findings provide important information regarding the practice of using priming and biopriming agents to enhance the germination and seedling growth capacity of squash seeds, as well to mitigate the negative effects of salinity stress at the critical stages of germination and early growth.