Research Journal of Seed Science1819-35522151-6146Science International10.3923/rjss.2011.125.136YadavPatade Vikas KumariMaya AhmedZakwan 3201143Seed priming is a simple pre-germination strategy to improve seed performance and alleviate the negative effects associated with stress exposure. Seed priming technique was used in capsicum (Capsicum annuum L. cv. California Wonder) to improve seed germination and tolerance on subsequent stress exposure. Capsicum seeds were treated with various priming agents for 24 h with moderate shaking. The effect of priming was assessed on germination and survival on subsequent exposure to salt (NaCl, 200 mM) or cold (4°C) stress for 10 days. Seed priming treatments significantly (p≤0.05) affected rate as well as the germination percentage under control, non-stressed condition. Seed priming with normal water (NW), warm water (40°C; WW) or NaCl (50 mM; NA) significantly (p≤0.05) increased the germination percentage by 7 to 17% as compared to the control. On cold exposure, the highest rate of seed germination and opening of cotyledonary leaves recorded in terms of Timsons index (94 and 56.9 respectively) was observed in thiourea (TU, 1.3 mM) primed seeds. The germination percentage was also significantly (p≤0.05) higher in primed seeds (97.5 to 100%) as compared to the control (85%). Only the seedlings grown from TU, hydrogen peroxide (HP, 1.5 mM) or ABA (AB, 100 μM) primed seeds tolerated the cold or salt stress exposure of 10 days with 100% survival. However, the control seedlings could not survive the salt or cold stress exposure. The plants grown from primed seeds under controlled conditions flowered earlier than the control and produced more number of fruits than the control. Thus, the results suggest chemical seed priming as an efficient approach for cold or salt stress tolerance in capsicum.]]>Abebe, A.T. and A.T. Modi,2009Phaseolus vulgaris L.).]]>22331Afzal, I., S.M.A. Basra, A. Hameed and M. Farooq,200638516491659Alderete-Chavez, A., N. de la Cruz-Landero, J.J. Guerra-Santos, E. Guevara and R. Gelabert et al.,2011Bauhinia divaricata L. seeds by effects of chemical scarification.]]>45157Asomaning, J.M., M. Sacandle and N.S. Olympus,2011Termalia suporba Engl. and diels seed on the 2-way grant's thermogradient plate.]]>42839Beckers, G.J.M. and U. Conrath,200710425431Bruce, T.J.A., M.C. Matthes, J.A. Napier and J.A. Pickett,2007173603608Casenave, E.C. and M.E. Toselli,2007358898Chartzoulakis, K. and G. Klapaki,200086247260Conrath, U., G.J.M. Beckers, V. Flors, P. García-Agustín and G. Jakab et al.,20061910621071Demir, I. and G. Okcu,2004Solarium melongena) and pepper (Capsicum annuum).]]>144121123Demir, I. and K. Mavi,2008Cucumis sativus L.) seeds in relation to seedling emergence.]]>11925Eshbaugh, W.H.,19931993pp: 132-139pp: 132-139Foti, R., K. Abureni, A. Tigere, J. Gotosa and J. Gere,2008Zea mays L.) caryopses.]]>7211271130Gebreselassie, W., A. Mohammed and A. Netsere,2010Coffea arabica L.) seeds to enhance emergence and subsequent growth of seedlings.]]>3218226Ghassemi-Golezani, K., AA. Aliloo, M. Valizadeh and M. Moghaddam,2008Lens culinaris Medik.).]]>362933Ghassemi-Golezani, K. and B. Esmaeilpour,2008Cucumis sativus seeds.]]>366770Ghassemi-Golezani, K., P. Sheikhzadeh-Mosaddegh and M. Valizadeh,200813440Ghiyasi, M., A. Abbasi Seyahjani, T. Mehdi, A. Reza and S. Hojat,2008Triticum aestivum L.) seeds under salt stress.]]>312491251Iqbal, M. and M. Ashraf,20074910031015Kaur, R., S. Arora and A.K. Thukral,2009Chlorophytyum borivilianum Sant. Et fernand. with pgrs, steroidal hormones and zinc.]]>23239Khan, H.A., C.M. Ayub, M.A. Pervez, R.M. Bilal, M.A. Shahid and K. Ziaf,2009Capsicum annuum L.) at seedling stage.]]>288187Khan, M.A. and I.A. Ungar, 2001Halopyrum mucronatum. ]]>49777783McDonald, M.B.,20002000pp: 287-325pp: 287-325Moradi, A. and O. Younesi,2009316961700Parra, M., A. Albacete, C. Martinez-Andujar and F. Perez-Alfocea,2007607785Patade, V.Y., S. Bhargava and P. Suprasanna,20091342428Patanea, C., V. Cavallaro and S.L. Cosentino,20093018Khalil, S.K., J.G. Mexal and L.W. Murray,20011105107Rozbeh, F. and S. Farzad,2006Brassica napus L. seedlings grown under saline conditions.]]>117478Siddiqui, Z.S., S.S. Shaukat and Arif-Uz-Zaman,200630321330Sivritepe, N., H.O. Sivritepe and A. Eris,200397229237Srivastava, A.K., N.K. Ramaswamy and S.F. D'Souza,2008Brassica juncea L.).]]>297211Suleman, M.K., N.R. Bhatt, S. Jacob and R.R. Thomas,2011Ochradenus baccatus delile, Peganum harmala L. and Gynandris sisrinchium parl.]]>45863Taylor, A.G. and G.E. Harman,199028321339Wahid, A., A. Noreen, S.M.A. Basra, S. Gelani and M. Farooq,2008Helianthus annuus) achenes improve germination and seedling growth.]]>49343350Kaur, S., A.K. Gupta and N. Kaur,2002371722