Influence of seed priming on emergence and growth of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) seedlings grown under salt stress

Salinity is one of the biggest limiting factors for agriculture in semi-arid areas of the world. For this reason, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of seed priming with NaCl and CaCl2 on growth and yield responses of Tunisian coriander cultivar exposed to five levels of salinity (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 g l-1). Seeds of coriander were primed with aerated solutions of 0.13 M NaCl and CaCl2 for 24 h. Results indicated that with increasing salinity, emergence traits (total emergence, mean emergence time), growth parameters (plant height, shoot fresh and dry weight) and mineral contents (K+ and Ca2+) decreased, but to a less degree in primed seeds. In all of the salinity levels, primed seeds possessed higher emergence and growth rate than control. However, further studies are needed to highlight the effect of seed priming on yield and oil content of coriander under salt stress.