Potential of organic seed priming for improved crop productivity and sustainable agricultural development

Climate change is a major global concern that adversely affects seedling emergence and crop development during critical growth stages. Thus, as a preventive measure and short-term strategy, seed priming is performed to boost germination and early growth of plants. Chemical seed priming has drawbacks, including high cost, selectivity and impact on target species, soil contamination and environmental pollution. Although plant genetic engineering, has advanced significantly developing resistant varieties remains a slow and unpredictable process. Technological advancements have created a path for future research on the improvement of current environment friendly seed enhancement methods with assured enhancement in seed vigour and crop productivity. Hence, organic seed priming serves as substitute due to their socioeconomic benefits and environmental safety. It represents an agro-ecological approach grounded in the principles of self-sufficiency, biodiversity, recycling and reduced dependency on chemical inputs. Soon, the organic seed priming is expected to exhibit fastest growth in the seed industry, partly due to its ease of registration with the environment regulatory agencies. Therefore, this reviews a few highlights preferred organic seed priming techniques, recent advancements and their significance in sustainable agriculture.