Optimum treatment scheme for alfalfa seeds primed with PEG

In order to determine the best seed priming scheme for alfalfa, the seeds were primed in different concentrations of polyethylene glycol (PEG) (5%, 10%, and 15%) with different durations (12 h, 24 h and 36 h) and temperatures (10, 15, and 20 ℃). The orthogonal design was used to determine the best treatment plan, based on the alfalfa seed germination conditions and the physiological index. The results show that the best treatment scheme was A₂B₂C₃, which represents priming with 10% PEG at 20 ℃ for 24 h. The germination speed of seeds improved significantly, and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), the peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) increased.