Priming Pea (<em>Pisum sativum</em> L.) Seeds with NaCl and H₂O₂ as a Strategy to Promote Germination

Peas possess significant nutritional properties due to their high protein levels, carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins. Increased climate variability can lead to water stress in crops like peas. Therefore, priming plants through seed priming is a technique that has proven effective as a pre-conditioning method for plants to cope with more severe future stresses. Different doses and soaking times of &#039;Santa Isabel&#039; pea seeds in NaCl and H2O2 were evaluated to enhance and promote germination. Two experiments were conducted under a completely randomized design with a 4 × 3 factorial arrangement, comprising 12 treatments in each trial. In the first trial, NaCl doses (0, 50, 100, or 150 mM) and the soaking time of the seeds in NaCl (12, 24, or 36 hours) were examined. In the second trial, H2O2 doses (0, 20, 40, or 60 mM) were tested with the same imbibition times. The 50 mM NaCl dose at 24 hours demonstrated the best values for germination rate index, mean germination time, germination rate (GR), and germination potential (GP). Seed imbibition for 24 hours in NaCl, as well as in H2O2, is the ideal time to achieve the best GR and GP. The dry mass of leaf and stipule recorded the highest values with a 60 mM dose of H2O2 and 24 hours of imbibition. An application of 150 mM NaCl resulted in the highest values of germinated seed dry mass, while causing lower dry mass in roots, stems, leaves, and stipules; however, it maintained similar total dry mass values.