Role of Boron as Priming Agent on Biochemical and Antioxidant System in Two Wheat Varieties Against Heat Stress

In agriculture, the selection of healthy and vigorous seeds is critical, so seeds must be of high quality. Seed priming is a reliable and commercial strategy for improving seed germination and seedling establishment under stressful conditions, whether biotic or abiotic. Heat stress occurs when temperature rises above a particular point and results in permanent irreversible damage to plants, whereas, heat stress that primarily affects crops during their reproductive or grain-filling stages, is referred as terminal heat stress. The present experiment deals with treating two varieties of wheat (HUW-468: Temperature sensitive and HUW-510: Temperature resistant) using boric acid and borax as priming agents and evaluating their effect on different parameters including biochemical (Hydrogen peroxide, Malondialdehyde, and Proline) and antioxidant parameters (Superoxide dismutase, Catalase, Ascorbate peroxidase, and Glutathione reductase) by sowing them under two different conditions (Timely and Late sown) for evaluating effect of priming agents on heat stress on different days of study. The results obtained indicate that primed seedlings grew better and were more resilient to stress, and this was due in part to lower ROS production, stronger membrane stability, a strong antioxidant defense system, and preservation of a strong and healthy crop stand.