Hydropriming and Physiological Enhancement in Sunflower Seeds

Hydropriming is a seed pre-treatment technique that involves controlled imbibition in water, allowing the seed to initiate the germination process without radicle protrusion. This study investigated the effects of hydropriming on the quality and vigour of different sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seed lots. A completely randomised experimental design was employed in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, comprising four seed lots and two treatments (with and without hydropriming), with four replications of 50 seeds per treatment. The following assessments were conducted: seed viability, germination, radicle protrusion, first germination count, germination speed index, shoot length, and root system length. Hydropriming improved the physiological performance of sunflower seeds in lots 3 and 4 but showed no positive effects in lot 1. The performance of seeds in lot 2 remained high regardless of treatment application. The efficiency of hydropriming depends on the initial seed performance, and it is a promising technique to enhance the quality of seed lots with compromised vigor.