Advances in seed priming techniques

Description

Seed priming is a technique involving seed hydration and drying which aims to increase germination speed and to synchronize germination to ensure a more uniform crop stand and yield. This chapter focusses on recent developments in priming from the point of view of the seed industry. It assesses the strengths and weaknesses on new techniques compared to established priming techniques: drum, osmotic and solid matrix priming.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Oxygen-controlled priming 3 A new variation on drum priming 4 Pellet-based priming and vapour heat priming 5 Pulsed radio frequency 6 Ultrasonics 7 UV-B radiation, cold plasma and pulsed light 8 Assessing new priming techniques 9 Future trends 10 Where to look for further information 11 References