Enhancing Germination and Growth in Fruit Crops: A Comprehensive Review of Pre-Sowing Treatments

Seed germination in horticultural crops, such as mango Kagzi lime, Karonda, Jamun, Papaya, and Phalsa, relies heavily on environmental factors like water potential, temperature, humidity, and light. Successful propagation of these crops from seeds necessitates a comprehensive understanding of seed viability, storage conditions, optimal sowing times, and the factors influencing germination and seedling care. However, poor seed germination is still a significant challenge in fruit crops, often which can be due to the presence of germination inhibitors in the seed coat, including benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, coumarin, naringenin, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid (ABA). The low germination rates and extended germination periods, along with slow seedling growth rates, hinder the use of these crops as rootstocks, essential for budding and grafting processes. Dormancy or hard seed coats are common reasons for seed germination failure, prompting the exploration of pre-sowing treatments to enhance germination and subsequent seedling growth. Methods such as scarification or soaking in solutions like KNO , Urea, 3 hot or cold water, thiourea, cow urine, cow dung slurry, or GAaim to increase seed coat permeability and improve germination 3 rates as displayed in Fig 1. These pre-sowing treatments enhance embryo growth potential, reduce germination time, weaken seed coats, and promote maximum germination percentages. Additionally, the application of plant growth regulators like GA , 3 IBA, and IAA, inappropriate concentrations alongside scarification, can regulate growth behavior and enhance seed germination and seedling growth. Extensive experimentation has been conducted to identify optimal treatments tailored to different fruit crops, emphasizing the importance of uniform germination for effective planting or rootstock use. This paper addresses gaps in understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms of pre-sowing treatments, particularly focusing on hormonal priming. It aims to explore specific genes and signaling pathways influenced by these treatments across different fruit crop species. Additionally, the review highlights the need for long-term studies on the effects of pre-sowing treatments on plant growth and yield. Furthermore, it emphasizes the lack of comparative studies under varying environmental conditions and suggests avenues for future research, including novel treatment exploration and integration into sustainable nursery management practices. Through these efforts, the paper aims to enhance our understanding of pre-sowing treatments and their potential applications in fruit crop production.

FIGURE 1: Schematic representation of difference on using pre-sowing treatments FIGURE 2: Pre-sowing treatment impacting fruit industry Seed priming: Seed priming is a widely adopted physiological technique involving seed hydration and drying to enhance metabolic processes prior to germination, thereby accelerating germination, seedling growth, and overall crop yield under normal as well as diverse biotic and abiotic stress conditions. It serves as a cost-effective and efficient method to stimulate seed germination (Dawood, 2018). Seed priming promotes synchronized seed germination and increased emergence (Ghassemi-Golezani et al., 2012; Dalil, 2014), offering multiple benefits such as reduced fertilizer usage, enhanced crop yield through synchronized germination, and induction of systemic resistance in plants, all in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. TABLE 1 SEED PRIMING Priming Description Advantages Method Hydro-Soaking of seeds with water. Established and cost-effective method. priming Treatment of seeds with inorganic solutions (e.g., NaCl, Halo-priming Enhances germination.

KNO , CaCl , CaSO ). 3 2 4 Osmo-Soaking seeds in osmotic solutions with varying Creates an osmotic gradient, facilitates priming concentrations of solutes. water movement into or out of seeds.

Hormonal-Seed priming with hormone solutions. Enhances seed germination and vigor. priming Enhances efficacy of fungicides and Solid-based Immersing seeds in a solid matrix for gradual water insecticides, controls soil-borne insects Matrix absorption. and diseases.

Integrates biological elements (e.g., seed inoculation with Safeguards seeds, manages diseases, Bio-priming beneficial organisms) and physiological aspects (e.g., seed promotes seed vigor. hydration).