Research Article

Evaluating the Impact of Seed Priming Techniques on Germination and Growth Behavior of Coleus blumei Benth

Muhammad Muzamil Ijaz1,2*, Adnan Younis1, Abida Parveen3*, Muhammad Abdul Salam Khan2, Hooria Mushtaq1, Ahmad Faiz Akbar1, Nasir Ahmad Khan4 and Ahsan Akram1

1Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 2Directorate of Floriculture (T&R) Punjab, Lahore; 3Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 4Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.

Received | Jun 14, 2025; Accepted | Nov 4, 2025; Published | December 26, 2025

*Correspondence | Muhammad Muzamil Ijaz, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; Abida Parveen, Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan; Email: [email protected]

Citation | Ijaz, M.M., A. Younis, A. Parveen, M.A.S. Khan, H. Mushtaq, A.F. Akbar, N.A. Khan and A. Akram. 2025. Evaluating the impact of seed priming techniques on germination and growth behavior of Coleus blumei Benth. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 41(5): 177-185.

DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2025/41.5.177.185

Keywords | Seed priming, Coleus blumei, Germination, Growth.

Copyright: 2025 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK.

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Introduction

The coleus is a species-rich genus of the Lamiaceae, which contains many species and more than 300 named varieties (Rattray & Wyk, 2021). These plants are native to Malaysia and Southeast Asia, they were brought to Europe from Java in 1851 and it has been grown as ornamental plant because of its colorful foliage (Wang et al., 2020). A multipurpose annual, Coleus has been used in the ornamental bedding plant industry for years due to its variable leaf features and coloration (Nagpal et al., 2008). They prefer moist and well-drained soil and grow to an average height of 0.5-1 m, but in some cases they may become as tall as up to 2 m (Suva et al., 2015). Apart from the ornamental role, the genus Coleus includes a large number of plant species having colossal medicinal values and can be easily grown for different economic reasons (Reddymalla et al., 2021; Chandora et al., 2023). Beginning in the 1800s, early cultivated and hybridized types had much more plain colorations and habits of growth. Some species, like Coleus ambionicus, are known for containing medicinal compounds and having antimicrobial activities (Datta, 2023).

Although coleus is one of the most important medicinal and dye yielding crop, lack of quality seeds in local market is a major constraint for its production. One of the major problems confronting growers, particularly in developing countries is that of soil heterogeneity and low quality resulting in poor germination rate, uneven seedling emergence and retarded growth. This suboptimal condition prompts the competition among seedlings for critical resources such as light, water, and nutrients, causing differences in plant biomass and performance (Raj et al., 2021). This disparity between sowing and emergence takes its toll in a loss of income. The high quality seeds and F1 hybrids are not only very expensive but also create in built germination problems which are major constraints in the production of these types of seeds (Varier et al., 2010).

To overcome these pervasive problems, seed priming has gained an immense role as an efficient and inexpensive pre-sowing physiological technique. This method is considered as an applicable approach to improve seed germination, promote seedling vigor, and increase crop yield, particularly in various and abiotic stress conditions (Abbasi Khalaki et al., 2021). Priming is a regulated hydration that consists in soaking seeds in particular solution to drive the metabolic process preceding germination, as the enzymatic activation, metabolic repair and the accumulation of germination-related compounds, up to dry back prior radical protrusion (Paparella et al., 2015). To enhance the germination metabolism should subsequently lead to a faster, synchronized and more uniform emergence in subsequent seed sowing (Waqas et al., 2019). The advantages are diverse, and include increased seed vigor, tolerance to soil-borne abiotic factors, and the healthier base on which to initiate seedling growth (Ibrahim, 2016; Abid et al., 2018). Physiological bolstering caused by priming, mediated through enhanced osmotic adjustment and lowered mechanical impedance to water uptake, can be retained after redrying and can easily be manifested upon rehydration in the soil (Shabbir et al., 2014). Different forms of priming, such as hydropriming (soaking the seeds in water), osmopriming (treatment with solutions such as PEG) and hormone priming (application of phytohormones, e.g. GA₃ or IBA), have been successfully used to breakdown dormancy and enhance germination in a variety of horticultural crops.

Accordingly, this study was aimed at investigating various priming methods to improve the poor germination of C. blumei because of its small seed size. The results are helpful to fill a significant knowledge-practice gap with an economical approach of achieving more uniform germination and better seedling. This study not only enhances the understanding of seed physiology but also provides practical recommendations to improve propagation and crop production of Coleus in particular, and possibly horticulture under challenging conditions.

Materials and Methods

The seed of Coleus blumei used in this study was obtained from Chanan Din Seed Market, Lahore Pakistan and the experiment was conducted at Seed Physiology Lab of Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. The experimental design was a CRD with five treatments mentioned in Table 1 and three replications per treatment, each replicate consisting of 26 seeds. The treatments used were unprimed control (T0), osmopriming with polyethylene glycol solution (T1), hydropriming with distilled water (T2), and hormonal priming including 5% indole-3-butyric acid (T3) and 5% gibberellic acid (T4). Seeds were soaked in their extracts for 24 h at room temperature for priming as shown in Figure 1. To observe the treatment factor effects, germination data were taken every day. This method was followed according to the protocol described by Rehman et al. (2015).

Osmopriming treatment

For osmopriming, 0.1 g PEG in 50 mL of distilled water solution was prepared. Subsequently, 0.1 g of seeds was soaked in the PEG solution for 24 h. The treated seeds were dried in an oven at 30°C for 30–35 minutes, and sowed as shown in Figure 1 (H) (Basra et al., 2004).

 

Table 1: Following treatment used during study

Treatment
T0	Control (No chemical)
T1	Osmo priming (using PEG)
T2	Hydro priming
T3	Hormonal priming 5% indole-3-butyric acid solution (IBA)
T4	Hormonal priming 5% gibberellic acid solution (GA3)

 

 

Hydropriming treatment

Hydropriming was performed as per Takshak and Agrawal (2018). About 0.1 g seeds of Coleus blumei were soaked in 50 ml distilled water for 24h at room temperature. After soaking, seeds were dried in an oven at 30°C for 30–35 minutes to arrest the priming treatment as shown Figure 1 (E).

Hormonal priming treatment

Seeds were subjected to hormonal treatment with indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃) at 5% concentration each. GA₃ was directly dissolved into distilled water, but IBA was first dissolved in a small volume of ethanol and then diluted to the desired concentration with distilled water. Seeds were soaked in each hormonal solution for 24 h and then dried under controlled temperature conditions as shown in Figure 1 (F and G) (Jisha et al., 2013).

Germination parameters

Germination components were determined according to the standard methods. Days to first germination was counted as the interval between sowing and appearance of first radicle. Percentage of Water Content (WoC) was calculated by formula of (FW − WU)/FW × 100%, which represents the weight loss during the drying process (%) following the equation described by Cornejo et al. (2015). Mean Germination Time (MGT) was calculated as per the formula given by Rehman et al. (2015), MGT = Σ(n×D)/Σn n is the number of seeds germinated on day D, the percentage of final germination was determined by dividing MGT by N (final number of seeds tested). Germination energy (%) was determined as the percentage of seeds germinated at 4–5 days after commencement with respect to the total number of seeds applied (Basra et al., 2005). The germination index (GI) was calculated according to the formula proposed by AOSA along with a vigor index which was obtained multiplying the percentage of germinated seeds with total length of seedlings (Abdul-Baki and Anderson, 1973).

Morphological parameters

The measurements of seedlings (randomly selected) were recorded at 20-30 days after transplanting. Root and shoot length were measured with a measuring tape from 10 seedlings per replication. Seedling fresh weights were weighed with the aid of an electric balance. For dry weights, seedlings were microwaved at 70°C for 24 h and weighed.

Results

Germination attributes

The germination characters of Coleus blumei seeds were significantly enhanced by all the seed priming treatments in contrast to the unprimed control (T0). The number of days required for the first emergence was significantly reduced by all priming treatments, and the hormonal treatment (T4) with GA₃ was found to be most effective, initiating germination in as quickly as 3.5 days (Figure 2). Hydropriming (T2, 3.6 days) was followed by IBA priming (T3, 3.87 days), and osmopriming with PEG seed treatment (T1, 3.97 days), whereas the slowest initiation were found in control T0 at five days.

 

 

The same trend was reflected in time to 50% germination (T4) with GA₃ priming (6.25 days) taking relatively the shortest time compared to other treated seeds and control treatment that gain 7.25 days (Figure 3). The Mean Germination Time (MGT) was also the shortest in GA₃ treatment (3.5 days), confirming its effects for stimulates a rapid and uniform germination, while longest MGT recorded from control treatment (5 days) (Figure 4). Hormonal priming with GA₃ in general imparted the highest beneficial influence on all germination parameters.

 

 

The ultimate germination percentage (GP) of seed was significantly affected by various priming treatments, and the highest GP value of 90% was obtained with T4 (GA₃ primed), which was statistically different from other treatments described in Figure 5. The lowest germination rates were obtained on seeds without treatment and those under the hydropriming condition (T0, 40.75% and T2, 60%) with small difference between them. Intermediate results were recorded with osmopriming by PEG (T1) and hormonal priming IBA (T3) which were not statistically different. The germination energy results showed a similar tendency, the highest being related to the GA3 priming (T4) 70%), which also differed significantly from control (4.42%) as well as other priming treatments (Figure 6). Hydropriming (T2, 8.75%) and osmopriming (T1, 3.75%) were non-significant with each other. The priming treatments showed significant positive influence on germination index, where GA₃ priming (T4) again rated as the most rapid in initiation period with an onset at 3.5 days after sowing suing it followed by hydropriming (T2, 3.26 days), IBA priming (T3, 2.56 days) and osmopriming (T1, 3.9 days ) (Figure 7). The vigor index results also supported data on GA₃ priming and T4 presented the highest values which were significantly greater as compared to other treatments (Figure 8). In all parameters, control (T0) had the lowest performance, and hydropriming (T2) and IBA priming (T3) presented statistically similar values, with reasonable results.

 

 

Morphological attributes

The findings of the effects on macro development and germination characteristics of Coleus blumei by different priming treatments are in Table 2. The maximum root length of 3.1 cm was obtained with GA₃ priming (T4) and there were significant differences recorded between treatments in terms of root development. The length of roots was 2.1 cm and 2.4 cm in hydropriming (T2) and PEG priming (T1), which were intermediately between the positive control and negative control, however planted with no primed seeds (T0) led to developing short roots. Whereas shoot elongation responded differently among treatments. Control (T0) had the highest shoot length (0.9 cm) may be as a result of etiolated growth due to lower germination vigor. Considering primed seeds, the most significant shoot length was obtained by IBA application (T3), followed by PEG (T1) and GA₃-treated seeds (T4) with 0.7, 0.6 and 0.5 cm, respectively; however, hydropriming-seeds (T2) showed the lowest values being only of 0.1 cm under greenhouse conditions.

 

Table 2: Impact of seed priming techniques on morphological characteristics of coleus blumei

Treatments	Shoot length (cm)	Root length (cm)	Seedling fresh weight (g)	Seedling dry weight (g)	Germination %
T0	0.9 ± 0.02c	1.64 ± 0.09c	1.3 ± 0.02d	0.3 ± 0.17b	67.01 ± 1.44c
T1	0.6 ± 0.37b	2.4 ± 0.08b	1.2 g ± 0.25a	1.16 ± 0.03a	90.85 ± 0.94ab
T2	0.1 ± 0.05a	2.1 ± 0.23b	2.03 ± 0.067b	0.4 ± 0.04a	88.54 ± 1.44ab
T3	0.7 ± 0.05b	1.62 ± 0.07c	1.96 ± 0.09c	0.2 ± 0.03b	92.46 ± 2.72
T4	0.5 ± 0.09a	3.1 ± 0.12a	2.47 ± 0.20a	1.9 ± 0.53a	95.38 ± 5.01a

 

Means sharing the same case letter, for a parameter did not differ significantly at P ≤ 0.05.

 

Priming treatments had a significant effect on biomass accumulation. T4 (GA₃-primed seeds) produced the most vigorous seedlings, being 2.47 g fresh weight and 1.9 g dry weight with strong growth vigour and more biomass accumulation into seeds. PEG priming (T1) similarly affected dry matter accumulation (1.2 g), although to a lower extent than GA₃. In contrast, IBA (T3), hydropriming (T2) and T0 resulted in significantly lower dry weight where inhibitory effects of the metabolic activity and growth were overcome as evidenced by the lowest plant compositional measurements that were 0.2 g, 0.4 g and 0.3 g respectively.

The germination of seeds was significantly improved by all priming treatments. GA₃ priming (T4) was found to be most effective and recorded 95.38 % germination in 3.5 days only. IBA priming (T3) was also effective, 92.46 % germination in 3.56 days while it was minimally higher than PEG and hydropriming treatment which achieved 90.85 % germination in 3.9 days (T1), and 88.54 % after 3.26 days of soaking the seeds with distilled water (T2). For this control (T0), germination was partial and delayed reaching 67.01 % over the observation time. These results indicate that hormonal priming, especially with GA₃, induces enhanced germination synchrony and seedling establishment and early growth of Coleus blumei.

Discussion

The widespread constraint of uneven seedling establishment on account of low germination levels is one that limits horticultural production systems globally, more so for species with small seeds like Coleus blumei. The present analysis reveals that a range of seed pre-treatments alleviates this problem, with GA₃-priming being particularly beneficial for many physiological and morphological traits. Hormonal priming, especially with GA₃ performed better in reducing time to first germination (3.5 days) and 50% germination (6.25 days), which is in supported with findings of previous studies in salvia and other ornamental crops where priming agents greatly increased synchrony and uniformity of germination (Raj et al., 2021; Salam et al., 2022).

The physiological basis for these enhancements may involve changes in complex biochemical processes that are initiated by priming. As noted by Nciizah et al. (2020), pivotal metabolites of catalyze essentially all the key metabolic pathways including dormancy release, germination inhibitors metabolism and hydrolytic enzymes mobilizing the reserves. The results suggest that the biochemical changes mediated by them could be involved in the enhanced cell division and enlargement events during seed germination of seeds (Pangestuti et al., 2021), which may finally result into increase in GER% (70% at GA₃ treatment) and vigor index. The most remarkable increase in final germination percentage (90%, GA₃ treatment) was of great significance, demonstrating the superiority of hormonal priming to overcome the inherent physiological constraints imposed by small seed size.

The stimulation of the antioxidant system seems to be key in the priming effectiveness. The elevated levels of glutathione and ascorbate described by Al-Badri et al. (2021) provide a mechanistic basis for observed enhanced germination speed and uniformity, especially due to diminished lipid peroxidation activities which usually hinder cellular membrane integrity during germination. This antioxidant stimulation may be particularly important in marginal conditions, given that higher levels of stress tolerance were seen when primed seed lots of sorghum and sunflower were tested.

At molecular level, the plant defense response implies a modulation of genes coding for water transport, cell wall remodeling and energy metabolism in priming treated plants. The fast imbibition of primed seeds indicates changes in aquaporin modulation and membrane permeability, leading to higher water absorption during the critical early stages of germination. In addition, the activity of enzymes such as α-amylase, protease and lipase is increased during priming leading to degradation of stored reserves necessary for energy and construction blocks in embryonic development (Bewley et al., 2013).

The better plant morphology characters after priming treatments, specifically the increased root (3.1 cm) and dry weight up to 2.47 g fresh weight might be governed through the various physiological strategies regulated by JAR1 activity (Supplementary Figures S6 and S7 ). The increased seed water therapies and earlier imbibition involved are perhaps likely to help in the more rapid cessation of germination lag phase Ali et al., 2019. Furthermore, the higher increase in seedling dry weight (1.9 g per GA₃ treatment) also indicates that priming stimulates mobilization of stored reserves and more efficient biomass partitioning as reported by Alam et al., 2023 for cucumber and other species. The particularly increased root growth in GA₃-treated seeds points to the importance of auxin-mediated responses that are required for the development of a strong root system, enabling efficient nutrient and water acquisition.

The differential treatment responses of parameters indicate the need for applications based on testing of suitable priming approaches in relation to crop-specific requirement or environment. Although GA₃ priming displayed the highest positive influence on most of tested traits, the intermediate performance of osmopriming with PEG and hormonal priming with IBA underlines that a context-specific use might be desirable in specific production systems and limitations. This is consistent with Thakur et al. (2023) focus on taking into account seed age, genetic diversity and the desired growth conditions when choosing and optimizing priming protocols.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The findings confirm the usefulness of seed priming, especially that with GA3 in the alleviation of germination imposed limitations in cultivation of Coleus blumei. Results reveal that priming technologies have the potential to significantly improve synchrony of germination, seedling vigor and early growth performance and could be considered as an effective option for increasing efficiency in nursery production. Further investigations are required to clarify the molecular mechanisms of these improvements, to optimize priming strategies for different environments and production systems, and also whether synergistic effects can be obtained by combining priming treatments. It would also be of great interest to evaluate the impact of priming on long-term plant development, flowering behaviour and final crop quality for commercial use. Cost-effective and practical priming methods for mass propagation in nurseries are still the subject of a promising works.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to University of Agriculture Faisalabad and Directorate of Floriculture (T&R) Lahore, Pakistan for their invaluable support and contributions to this research experiment.

Novelty Statement

The findings reveal that GA₃-induced hormonal priming is a critically effective physiological intervention for Coleus blumei, directly countering the poor and erratic germination caused by its small seed size. This approach represents a novel strategy to enhance germination uniformity and vigor, thereby facilitating more efficient and reliable commercial production.

Author’s Contribution

Muhammad Muzamil Ijaz and Hooria Mushtaq: Performed the experiment and collected data.

Abida Parveen and Muhammad Abdul Salam Khan: Helped in data collection and manuscript write-up.

Adnan Younis and Nasir A. Khan: Data analysis and proofreading.

Ahmad Faiz Akbar and Ahsan Akram: Helped in relevant literature and format setting.

Generative AI or AI assisted technology statement

No generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in the creation or preparation of this manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

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