The organic priming role in the alleviation of salinity damage on seed germination of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.)

Salinity stress reduces the germination and growth of plants, and organic priming is a suitable way to reduce environmental issues and increase seed germination and plant growth. For this purpose, a study was arranged as a factorial base on a completely randomized design with three replications on cumin seeds. Research treatments included five levels of organic priming (control (no prime), hydropriming, chitosan, humic acid and vermicompost) and four levels of salinity stress (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM NaCl). The results indicated that salinity stress decreased the germination and growth seedling of cumin. Priming with humic acid, chitosan and vermicompost and also hydropriming reduced the negative effects of salinity stress compared to the control (without prime), but the humic acid, chitosan and vermicompost priming action was better than hydropriming. The highest seed germination of cumin was observed in vermicompost priming (98.58 %) in the control condition which had no significant difference with humic acid (98.33 %) and chitosan (98.24 %). The highest proline content (0.86 µmol g-1 FW) was related to 150 mM salinity stress without prime, and the lowest (0.29 µmol g-1 FW) was observed in humic acid priming, and vermicompost (0.28 µmol g-1 FW) in the control condition. The lowest seed germination (54.24 %) was obtained in 150 mM salinity stress. Organic priming increased the germination and growth of cumin seedlings and it is a suitable approach to alleviate salinity stress damage in cumin seedlings.