nano-priming as an innovative seed-priming methodology for abiotic stress tolerance in crops

A significant and complex challenge currently facing the 21st century is the necessity to feed the rapidly growing global population, particularly given the concurrent decline in global agricultural productivity. the escalating global temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns introduce unprecedented stresses for plants, impeding their growth and impacting food security. plants often experience multiple abiotic stresses simultaneously, a phenomenon known as multi-combinatorial stress . despite the presence of intrinsic defensive mechanisms, plants frequently encounter difficulties in adapting to environmental disruptions, which often results in a notable decline in crop yields. abiotic stress, which encompasses salinity, temperature extremes, nutrient deficiency, and heavy metal toxicity, presents a considerable challenge to agricultural productivity. climate change and drought are anticipated to exacerbate these issues, leading to a considerable reduction in global crop yields. human activities have contributed to environmental degradation, resulting in climate change and extreme weather events. these events intensify soil degradation, leading to salinity and pollution. in response to these challenges, increasing land pressures drive farmers towards unsustainable practices, heavily relying on chemical fertilizers and pesticides to combat plant diseases (lee & kasote, 2024). reactive oxygen species (ros) play a pivotal role in stress signaling and maintaining ros homeostasis is essential for cellular health. ros are involved in abiotic and biotic stress-related events and numerous processes of seed germination and plant development. several biotechnological approaches, including genetic and non-genetic strategies, have been developed and adapted to increase agricultural productivity. one such method is nano-priming, which involves the use of nanomaterials for seed priming. priming emerges as a compelling alternative due to its cost-effectiveness, broad applicability (even for recalcitrant crops), and potential for sustainable stress management. priming induces a heightened state of vigilance without triggering immediate defense gene activation, which is also known as sensitization . this primed state enables a more effective and rapid defense response upon encountering stress, which leads to increased tolerance compared to unprimed plants. nanopriming involves the integration of nanoparticles (nps) into seed treatments to improve seed vigor and stress tolerance (ghosh et al., 2024). nanoparticles (nps) exert an influence on physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms, thereby facilitating rapid responses at the cellular level. furthermore, this technique offers greater control than the foliar application of nanomaterials. therefore, nano-priming can be regarded as a more environmentally friendly and less phytotoxic approach. the efficacy of seed nano-priming techniques has been demonstrated in the activation of metabolic processes, thereby enhancing germination and seedling establishment in the presence of stress conditions (imtiaz et al., 2023). nanoparticles, including selenium and zinc oxide, have been shown to enhance photosynthesis, nutrient uptake, and activate defense mechanisms, leading to elevated phytohormonal levels. these hormones facilitate seed germination, improve water uptake, and promote efficient stress management. seed nano-priming techniques are used to mount different defense mechanisms, such as an antioxidant defense and osmotic adjustment against salinity. the accumulation of heavy metals, including cadmium (cd), cobalt (co), lead, chromium, and others, in soil can result in plant toxicity. the detrimental effects of heavy metals can be mitigated through the process of nanopriming (yadav et al., 2024). additionally, nano-priming techniques have been demonstrated to enhance seed vigor and germination by increasing the optimal production of reactive oxygen species (ros) and nitric oxide (no), thereby facilitating the production of gibberellic acid (ga). furthermore, nanopriming has the potential to modulate gene expression associated with stress memory and secondary metabolite production, thereby reinforcing plant resilience. in conclusion, nanopriming represents a promising approach to enhancing crop yield and quality by improving stress tolerance. by leveraging the potential of nanoparticles (nps), this approach demonstrates promise in reducing crop losses, increasing yields, and enhancing global food security while minimizing the environmental impact of traditional agricultural practices (figure 1). while further research is necessary to optimize nanoparticle types, concentrations, and their interactions with plant metabolic processes, nanotechnology-based approaches, such as nanopriming, provide a multifaceted solution to ensure long-term global food security (singh et al., 2024).