Priming Carrot Seeds as a Strategy to Improve Production Efficiency in Bolivia: Laboratory and Field Evaluation

Priming is a pre-germination technology that induces stress tolerance through controlled hydration. This study evaluated the efficacy of four priming technologies in Altiplano variety carrot seeds under laboratory and field conditions at the Centro Nacional de Producción de Semillas de Hortalizas - CNPSH (Sipe Sipe, Cochabamba, Bolivia), to identify the most suitable treatments for carrot producers in Bolivia. In the laboratory, a completely randomized design with four replications was used, evaluating: hydropriming with immersion times of 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours (5 treatments); biopriming with immersion times of 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours and subsequent inoculation with Trichoderma sp. (5 treatments); halopriming with NaCl at concentrations of 3%, 5%, 10% and 15% with 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours of immersion (20 treatments); and halopriming with KNO₃ at concentrations of 3%, 5%, 10% and 15% with 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours of immersion (20 treatments). The most effective treatments in the laboratory were: hydropriming (24-48 hours of immersion), halopriming with KNO₃ (3-15%, 24-48 hours of immersion) and halopriming with NaCl (3-10%, 24-36 hours of immersion), which were validated in the field using a randomized complete block design with four replications. The results showed that halopriming with KNO₃ (3%, 36 h) showed maximum efficacy in field conditions, reaching 95.33% ± 0.15% germination and greater seedling vigor (213.07 ± 1.23) in Altiplano carrots seeds. This technology is positioned as a viable alternative for farmers, due to its low cost and easy integration into traditional production systems in Bolivia.