Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) are known for their nutritional importance in biological systems. In plants, exogenous supply of these nutrients has beneficial effects on growth and development particularly under environmental stress conditions. The present study examined the effects of Zn and Se seed priming on germination and seedling growth of maize (Zea mays cv. P1574) under drought stress. The seeds were soaked in individual or combined Se (0.075 mM) and Zn (10 mM) solutions for 12 and 24 h using water-primed and un-primed seeds as control. Various priming treatments included HP₁ [hydropriming for 12 h], HP₂ [hydropriming for 24 h], Se₁ [selenium seed priming for 12 h], Se₂[selenium seed priming for 24 h], Zn₁ [zinc seed priming for 12 h], Zn₂ [zinc seed priming for 24 h], (Se + Zn)₁[Se + Zn seed priming for 12 h] and (Se + Zn)₂[Se + Zn seed priming for 24 h], whereas water stress treatments were kept at 100 (normal) and 60% (drought stress) field capacity. Zn or Se seed treatment significantly increased germination indices (germination percentage [52%], promptness index [54%], vigor index [35%] and emergence index [42%]) and upregulated enzymatic antioxidants such as catalase (69%), guaiacol peroxidase (116%), superoxide dismutase (48%) and ascorbate peroxidase (39%) in maize seedlings raised from Se + Zn primed seeds compared to water and un-primed seeds. Moreover, the primed Se and Zn were efficiently translocated to the shoot resulting in 154 and 114% higher Se and Zn content, respectively by Se + Zn seed priming compared to their individual treatments. These results demonstrate the role of combined Se and Zn seed treatment to improve drought tolerance in maize, which may simultaneously bring about biofortification benefits considering nutritional importance of Se and Zn in human diet.

硒（Se）和锌（Zn）在生物系统中的营养重要性众所周知。在植物中，这些营养素的外源供应对生长和发育特别是在环境胁迫条件下具有有益作用。本研究研究了锌和硒种子引发对干旱胁迫下玉米（Zea mays cv。P1574）发芽和幼苗生长的影响。将种子浸入单独或混合的Se（0.075 mM）和Zn（10 mM）溶液中12到24小时，使用水引发和未引发的种子作为对照。各种底漆处理包括HP ₁ [加氢底漆12 h]，HP ₂ [加氢底漆24 h]，Se ₁ [硒籽底漆12 h]，Se ₂ [硒籽底漆24 h]，Zn ₁[锌种子灌注12小时]，Zn ₂ [锌种子灌注24小时]，（Se + Zn）₁ [Se + Zn种子灌注12小时]和（Se + Zn）₂[Se + Zn种子引发24小时]，而水分胁迫处理保持在100（正常）和60％（干旱胁迫）的田间持水量。锌或硒种子处理显着提高了发芽指数（发芽率[52％]，反应性指数[54％]，活力指数[35％]和出苗指数[42％]），并上调了酶抗氧化剂，如过氧化氢酶（69％），与水和未灌注种子相比，Se + Zn浸种的玉米幼苗中的愈创木酚过氧化物酶（116％），超氧化物歧化酶（48％）和抗坏血酸过氧化物酶（39％）。此外，与单独处理相比，涂有硒的硒和锌可有效地转移到嫩枝上，分别通过硒+锌种子涂底分别提高了154和114％的硒和锌含量。这些结果证明了硒和锌种子联合处理对提高玉米的耐旱性的作用，