Relevance of seed priming in perspective of stress memory, metabolic modulation and climate resilience in growing plants

Seed priming is increasingly recognized as an induction-based approach for preparing crops to withstand recurrent and unpredictable environmental challenges. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how priming establishes a physiological state of enhanced responsiveness, with particular emphasis on the interaction between stress memory, metabolic reprogramming, and epigenetic regulation. We examine the roles of antioxidant systems, osmolytes, phytohormones, signaling networks, transcriptional regulation, chromatin modifications, and metabolic adjustments in the establishment, maintenance, and recall of primed states. Particular attention is given to evidence for metabolic and transcriptional memory, transgenerational inheritance, and the contribution of multi-omics approaches to deciphering these complex responses. The review further evaluates emerging strategies, including nutripriming, biopriming, nanopriming, and integrated “primeomics” approaches, and considers their potential for improving tolerance to multiple and sequential stresses. Key challenges associated with memory stability, genotype dependence, environmental variability, field-level consistency, and seed storage are also discussed. Finally, we highlight opportunities to integrate optimized priming protocols with breeding, precision agriculture, and climate forecasting to develop practical, scalable approaches for climate-resilient crop production and sustainable food security.