Heavy metals are one of the factors that pollute the environment and significantly affect soil fertility, plant physiology, development, and productivity. The tolerance of plants to toxicity depends on the species and tissue, element type, and duration of exposure to stress. Some special signal molecules such as nitric oxide (NO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), beneficial ions, hyperaccumulating plants, stress hormones, nanoparticles, organic compounds, and microbial applications can be recommended to alleviate the stress effects caused by toxic heavy metals in plants. Induction of other promising techniques like seed priming, active involvement of plant growth regulator, use of osmoprotectants, successful plant microbes’ crosstalk and recent utilization of nanoparticles are worth using strategies in mitigation of heavy metal stress in plants. These practices effectively regulate the activities of antioxidant enzymes for the alleviation of stress in plants, creditably improving the plant tolerance via preserving cell homeostasis and amending the adversative effects of heavy metal stress in plants. These inventive strategies offer an enriched understanding of how to boost crop productivity under heavy metal stress in order to decrease the risk to global food security.

Poor germination and suboptimal seedling growth constitute as prime factors in lowering the achene yield and seed oil content of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), while chemo-priming with micronutrients might serve as a biological viable strategy provided source and dose optimization are performed. A trial was executed to appraise the comparative impact of seed priming with different doses of micronutrients like boron (B) and zinc (Zn) on sunflower germination and seedling growth traits of sunflower. The experiment was comprised of six treatments of B (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.20 ppm) and Zn (0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 mM) each, while seed germination, root and seedling growth related traits were taken as experimental variables. The results revealed that all treatments remained ineffective regarding seed germination and seed vigour of sunflower, while B and Zn doses of 0.2 ppm and 12 mM respectively, enhanced seedling emergence rate and vigour. The Zn (8 mM) significantly improved root length along with their fresh and dry weights, while all doses of B imparted antagonistic effects on root attributes. Likewise, Zn (8 mM) remained superior for shoot length, fresh and dry weights, while higher doses of B remained contra-productive for shoot growth of sunflower.

A field-based experiment was carried out in Rukum (East), Nepal, from February to June 2020, to assess the effect of different pre-sowing treatments on germination of Persian walnut. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments included hot water treatment, chilling stratification only, cracking + Gibberellic acid (500ppm) followed by chilling stratification, cracking + Gibberellic acid (750ppm) followed by chilling stratification, Gibberellic acid (500ppm) + chilling stratification and Gibberellic acid (750ppm) + chilling stratification. The minimum days for germination (15.75 days) and highest germination (53.25%) were obtained when the combination of cracking with GA3 @ 750 ppm along with chilling stratification was done. The maximum shoot length (34.83 cm) was observed in the combination of cracking with GA3 @ 500 ppm followed by stratification but statistically similar shoot length (34.63 cm) was observed when cracking, application of GA3 @ 750 ppm followed by stratification was done. Cracking, treatment with GA3 @ 500 ppm followed by chilling stratification resulted in the highest shoot fresh weight (11.93 gm) and root fresh weight (10.77 gm) compared to the other treatments used. Thus, cracking along with treatment by GA3 @ 750 ppm followed by chilling stratification could be suggested to the walnut growers for better germination and a better morphological and physiological status of the rootstocks/seedlings.

This study was conducted as both petri dishes and pot experiments on four different salt-sensitive cotton genotypes (Laser, May 505, May 455 and Selin) in order to investigate the role of exogenous salicylic acid applications in reducing the effects of salt stress. Six saline treatments; 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 mM NaCl were used. Each group divided into three sub-groups (hydo-primed control, 0.5 mM and 1.0 mM SA) on the basis of seed priming treatments. They were applied in three replications according to the randomized block design. In all genotypes, 90 mM and 120 mM salt stress negatively affected germination and seedling development. In salt stress up to 60 mM, it was recommended to May 505 and Selin genotypes with 0.5 mM salicylic acid pre-application to the seeds.

In a lab experiment using seed priming, the faba bean (Vicia faba L.) seed germination and seedling development were studied. Twenty different priming techniques were utilized in the study, each comprising varying concentrations of NaOCI, CaCl2, KNO3, Manitol, PEG, KCL, H2O and a control group that received no priming. Four replications of a completely randomized design (CRD) were used in the experiment. Among the three priming treatments, there were substantial differences in the seedling growth metrics and germination rate. When 500 ppm NaOCl was used as a treatment, the highest seed germination percentage (96%) was attained. Although 100 ppm PEG had the greatest germination index (42.92), 10000 ppm NaOCl had the quickest mean germination time (8.27). Additionally, at a concentration of 1500 ppm NaOCl, the greatest seedling vigor index (29.79) and maximum germination coefficient (12.28) were likewise obtained. With H2O treatment, the maximum shoot length (21.09 cm) was observed for seedling growth parameters. The largest root length was produced by a 10000 ppm KNO3 treatment (11.19 cm). With 20000 ppm KNO3, the maximum root dry weight was achieved (88.50 mg), whereas H2O produced the highest shoot dry weight (51.0 mg). Additionally, it was discovered that a treatment with 10000 ppm KNO3 had the best root-shoot ratio (0.72). The research thus supports the possible use of seed priming as a method to improve faba bean seed germination and seedling growth. NaOCl and KNO3 seemed to work best for faba bean seed germination and seedling growth.

The utilization of Nigella sativa L., commonly known as black cumin, in traditional and medicinal practices is well-documented, attributing to its wide-ranging biological activities. Given its significance, this study explores the efficacy of various seed priming treatments (control, distilled water, potassium humate, and gibberellic acid) under laboratory and field conditions to enhance the early growth stages of Nigella sativa L. Priming treatments aimed to improve germination rates, plant height, and other growth parameters, potentially translating into increased agricultural productivity. According to results plant height ranged from 52.38 to 58.91 cm, number of branches between 3.76 and 3.98 (branch plant-1). The number of capsules varied from 4.93 to 6.81 (capsule plant-1),  capsule seed weight was between 0.19 and 0.22 (gram capsule-1 ), and the thousand-seed weight ranged from 2.26 to 2.39 grams. The germination rate ranged from 78% to 93%, germination index 4.22-5.83 and mean germination time was observed from 4.27 to 4.82 days. Our findings reveal significant effects of priming on germination parameters and  plant height, this offering insights into the potential of these treatments to optimize crop growth. However, the transition of these benefits to field conditions, particularly yield-related parameters, appeared limited, suggesting the complex nature of growth enhancement strategies and their implications for agricultural practices.