Salinity is a core problem that adversely affects wheat production by impairing germination and physiological functions. Hormonal seed priming enhances salinity tolerance. We conducted two consecutive laboratory experiments under a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates to explore the effects of seed priming using abscisic acid (ABA) in the seedlings of wheat cultivars (ESWYT-5, ESWYT-6, and BARI GOM-28) under saline conditions. In the first experiment, the seeds primed with ABA (40 ppm) exhibited a significant increase in germination, root and shoot biomass, and water relations, followed by non-primed and hydro-primed seedlings in the ESWYT-5 cultivars. In the second experiment, seed priming with 40 ppm ABA significantly improved germination and early growth under salinity stress, with the ESWYT-5 cultivar outperforming the other cultivars. Compared with ESWYT-6 and BARI Gom-28, ESWYT-5 showed higher germination percentage (GP) 7–26%, germination coefficient (GCE) 1–6%, vigor index (VI) 8–47%, improved water relations (RWC: 1–42%), and greater biomass production. Our study findings highlighted that better germination and growth of primed seedlings of wheat cultivars were associated with better uptake of water under saline conditions.
Hasan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.