Investigating the Effect of Biological Crusts on Some Soil Properties

Garden products, especially vegetables, need to use seed preparation technology due to their small volume and high value. Early planting of vegetables in sub-optimal environments is often done to get better market returns, although it simultaneously forces farmers to use high seed vigor to compensate for seedling production. To deal with this problem, farmers and seed companies around the world practice seed priming techniques because it facilitates the synchronicity of flowering and fruiting, resulting in improved yield. Different preparation strategies used for seed treatment are classified into conventional/invasive (hydro, osmo, hormonal, halo, solid matrix, nutrients, biological or nanopriming) and physical/non-invasive (magnetic, UV) categories. The advantages of seed preparation include: germination time, cost of replanting, additional irrigation and fertilization, weed management, uniform growth. A comprehensive review of seed preparation techniques applied to low-volume crops such as vegetables has not been considered. This review describes the advantages of different seed preparation techniques for vegetables.