Heat priming enhances thermotolerance in lentil genotypes under heat stress

A pot experiment was conducted to evaluates the effects of heat priming on two lentil genotypes, PL-8 (microsperma) and PL-11 (macrosperma), under heat-stressed environments to assess its potential as a strategy for mitigating terminal heat stress. The experiment compared plant height, days to 50% flowering, canopy temperature depression (CTD), membrane stability index (MSI), and pod number under standard practice (SP), heat stress (HS), and heat-primed seeds (HPS). Results indicated that heat stress significantly reduced plant height, accelerated flowering, lowered CTD and MSI values, and drastically decreased pod numbers in both genotypes. The application of HPS mitigated these effects, partially restoring all parameters. PL-8 demonstrated a higher degree of recovery compared to PL-11, suggesting its greater resilience and adaptability under heat stress, potentially due to its genetic traits and efficient physiological mechanisms. HPS treatment improved MSI and pod numbers more effectively in PL-11, though PL-8 maintained overall higher absolute values in all traits, highlighting its superior tolerance. The study supports the potential of heat priming as a viable strategy for enhancing thermotolerance in lentils, emphasizing the importance of genotype selection in optimizing yield stability under increasing global temperatures.