Improvement of lucerne germination and seedling performance through a combined seed priming method

Seed priming is an effective seed treatment procedure and has been shown to improve the emergence of seedlings in various crops. However, there is a lack of systematic research for these techniques in lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), especially for combinations of priming agents. This study aimed to screen 22 biologically active compounds and then to evaluate the potential of combinations of these agents, assessing the dynamics of germination, seedling length, and performance, in a pot experiment for selected combinations. About half of the screened agents increased germination rate (on the 3rd day) or seedling length (from 8% to 75%), where chitosan and green tea improved total germination and seedling formation. The selected combination of priming agents improved only seedling growth compared to hydropriming and control, where the combination of fermented weed juice + green tea and H₂O₂ + thyme infusion seems effective (+61%). In the pot experiment, only a combination of mixed priming with the coating method led to improved lucerne root growth (+33% compared to the untreated control). These results can contribute to the adoption of easily available, cost-effective, and sustainable treatments with the potential to accelerate germination and lucerne seedling development.