<p>Seed priming with plant growth regulators can potentially improve rice cultivar resilience to low temperatures and submergence. Seed priming is a strategy for promoting seed germination and young plant growth. This technique can aid in sprouting rice seeds and growing rice plants in unfavorable environmental conditions. This study aimed to examine the effects of different seed priming treatments (C1: salicylic acid; C2: abscisic acid + melatonin) on the germination and growth of three rice cultivars (SR: weak-resistance cultivar; MR: moderate-resistance cultivar; RR: resistant cultivar) with different responses to low temperature and submergence under specific low-temperature and submergence conditions. This study revealed that seed priming with the application of plant growth regulators had a significant effect on the seed germination and seedling growth of three rice cultivars with different resistances at low temperatures and under submerged conditions. The application of plant growth regulators resulted in an average increase in seed germination of 76.91% for C1 and 76.56% for C2. This improvement was especially significant for the rice cultivar, which is sensitive to low temperatures and submergence treatments. Furthermore, the use of plant growth regulators led to an increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. The combination of abscisic acid and melatonin decreases the concentration of MDA, and its capacity to mitigate stress is slightly greater. Seed priming with salicylic acid, as well as a combination of abscisic acid and melatonin, improved germination and seedling growth. This study provides a technical approach to germination and seedling growth in direct-seeded rice under submergence and low temperatures.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>