Seed priming, a way for improving grain yield and nutritional value of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under dry land condition

This research was conducted to examine the effects of seed priming on nutrient uptake (P, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu), grain enrichment and yield of barley (var. Abidar) under dry-land condition. Seeds of barley were divided into nine sub-samples. A sub-sample was kept as control (unprimed) and the other eight sub-samples were primed with water (hydro-priming) and 10% PEG, 5 mM CaCl 2 , 10 mM Zn, 50 mM P, 100 mM P, 10 mM Zn+50 mM P and 10 mM Zn+100 mM P solutions and then dried back to the initial moisture content. These seeds were sown at the early autumn 2006 as RCB design with three replications at the Dry-land Agricultural Research Institute (DARI), Maragheh, Iran. Seedling emergence rate, seedling establishment, winter survival, ground green cover, rainfall productivity index and grain yield significantly improved by priming treatments. The superior priming techniques promoted enrichment of barley grains with P, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu by 45, 21, 40, 36 and 32%, respectively. The beneficial effects of seed priming on yield and nutrient enrichment of barley grains were attributed to rapid seedling emergence and establishment, better winter survival, high ground green cover and consequently the best use of light, soil moisture and nutrients by the plants produced from the primed seeds.