Evaluation the ability of seed priming with selenium to improving deteriorated seeds in lentil (Lens culinaris Medic)

Seeds of crops deteriorate during storage. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of selenium on the improvement of deteriorated seeds in two lentil cultivars. The research was conducted as a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design. The seeds of two lentil cultivars (Kimia and Bilehsavar) were exposed to different deterioration conditions (no deterioration, mild and severe deterioration). Then, these deteriorated seeds were primed by different concentrations of selenium (0, 250, 500 and 750 µM). After the priming, the seeds were evaluated in a standard germination test and related traits were measured. In non-deteriorated seeds, priming with selenium did not have significant effects on the seed germination and seedling vigor characteristics. Under mild and severe deterioration conditions, seed priming with selenium at 0, 250, and 500 μM had not significant differences in most seed and seedling vigor characteristics, but priming at 750 μM improved this traits. For example, under mild and severe seed deterioration conditions, seed priming at 750 μM selenium increased the germination rate by 30 and 62 %, respectively, and decreased the mean germination time by 13 and 17 %, respectively. In terms of the activity of catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase enzymes, it was found that in non-deteriorated seeds, the activity of these enzymes were increased 81, 19 and 43% respectively; by seed priming with selenium 750 μM. The effect of seed priming at 750 μM selenium on activity of these three enzymes was 221, 92 and 86% for mild seed deterioration and 376, 143 and 141% for severe seed deterioration conditions, respectively. Also, the effect of seed priming with selenium on the studied traits was similar for the two lentil cultivars Kimia and Bilehsavar. Therefore, it seems that seed priming with selenium 750 μM had the ability of improvement the deteriorated lentil seeds Kimia and Bilehsavar.