Efficacy of Seed Priming Technology in Ameliorating Metals and Metalloids Toxicity in Crops: Prospective and Issues
摘要
Seed priming technology (SP) is a practice (conducted prior to sowing) where seeds are treated with a wide range of seed priming agents (SPA) for a set time period followed by withdrawal. The efficacy of SP has been widely examined against various abiotic and biotic stressors with various crops in controlled field environmental conditions. Among the abiotic stressors, heavy metals and/or metalloids (HMs) are considered as a serious threat to sustainable agriculture. Compared with other stressors, the efficacy of SP in ameliorating HM-induced phytotoxicity and minimizing HMs content in edible parts are limited. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive study dedicated to HMs stress in wide range of crops. This review article employs a blend of bibliometric-based analysis (to assess global trends) followed by systematic evaluation of traditional (micronutrient, biomolecules, etc.) and nanomaterial (NMs)-based SPAs in ameliorating HMs-induced stress and accumulation in various crops. Our assessment suggests SPs as a suitable means to fill the vacuum that exists among the controlled environment and field condition, cost effective, easy remedial measure for HMs-induced stress. However, the need of in-depth (cellular and molecular level) as well as multi-location trials will definitely add to the current knowledge for development of effective HM stress resilience.