How to boost seed growth and freshness using different priming methods

Greg Howard
7th January, 2026

How to boost seed growth and freshness using different priming methods

Hydropriming enhances germination in parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) mericarps by promoting pre-germination embryo growth (a) and significantly reducing the internal content of growth-regulating hormones (c), which results in faster germination despite an increased sensitivity to ABA (b).

Image adapted from: Fatelnig et al. / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • Seed priming, tested on carrot and parsnip, boosts germination speed and seedling vigour by encouraging embryo growth before germination begins
  • Hydropriming alters hormone levels in parsnip seeds, reducing levels of hormones that inhibit germination like abscisic acid
  • ABA-priming uniquely enhances both germination and the seeds’ ability to withstand ageing, offering a promising technique for improved seed storage
Seed priming, a technique to improve germination and seedling establishment, is widely used in agriculture. However, primed seeds often exhibit reduced longevity, a challenge researchers are actively addressing. A recent study by researchers at Royal Holloway University of London[1] investigated how different priming methods affect the germination of carrot and parsnip seeds, focusing on the role of embryo growth and hormone levels. Carrot and parsnip seeds possess a unique characteristic: they contain a small, underdeveloped embryo embedded within a substantial amount of endosperm tissue. Successful germination requires this embryo to grow to a specific size relative to the seed before the radicle (the embryonic root) emerges. The study explored whether priming – soaking seeds in water (hydropriming) or solutions containing plant hormones (gibberellins (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA)) or using gas plasma-activated water (GPAW) – could accelerate this pre-germination growth and improve overall germination performance. The results demonstrated that all priming methods – hydropriming, hormone priming, and GPAW – enhanced germination speed, the maximum percentage of seeds germinating, and the overall vigour of the seedlings. Crucially, this improvement was linked to increased embryo growth within the seeds before germination even began. Hydropriming, in particular, significantly altered hormone levels in parsnip seeds, reducing the amounts of bioactive gibberellins and indole-3-acetic acid, as well as germination inhibitors like abscisic acid and cis-(+)-12-oxo-phytodienoic acid. Interestingly, while hydropriming boosted initial germination, it also made the seeds more susceptible to deterioration in accelerated ageing tests. The study also investigated the potential of GPAW-priming, which uses water treated with cold plasma technology to alter its properties. While GPAW-priming increased salinity tolerance in carrots, it didn’t improve their resilience to ageing. This finding is interesting when considering prior research which showed that air plasma treatment can significantly impact seed germination by modifying reactive oxygen species production and membrane permeability[2]. However, the Royal Holloway University of London team found that GPAW-priming enhanced ageing resilience in other vegetable seeds and grains, suggesting the effect is species-specific. A key finding was the positive impact of ABA-priming. Not only did ABA priming promote embryo growth and improve germination, but it also significantly increased the seeds’ ability to withstand ageing. This is particularly noteworthy, as ABA is often considered a germination inhibitor. The researchers theorize that a controlled application of ABA during priming may help the seeds develop a greater tolerance to stress later on. This research builds upon earlier work demonstrating the role of gibberellic acid (GA3) in mitigating the effects of salt stress on fennel seeds[3]. In that study, GA3 application reduced polyamine levels, which were elevated under saline conditions, partially reversing the negative impacts of salt on germination and growth. The current study, while not directly focused on polyamines, highlights the complex interplay between hormones and stress tolerance during seed germination, suggesting that manipulating hormone levels through priming can be a powerful strategy for improving seed performance. The findings from suggest that ABA-priming represents a particularly promising technology for enhancing both vigour and longevity in primed seeds, offering a valuable tool for agricultural practices.

AgricultureBiotechPlant Science

References

Main Study

1) Enhancement of Apiaceae pre-germination embryo growth, mericarp ageing resilience and germination differs between hormone, gas plasma, and hydropriming technologies

Published 3rd January, 2026

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-025-04900-0

Related Studies

2) Effects of low temperature plasmas and plasma activated waters on Arabidopsis thaliana germination and growth.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0195512

3) Gibberellic acid interacts with salt stress on germination, growth and polyamine gene expression in fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) seedlings.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12298-022-01140-4


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