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Peer-reviewedCC BYJournal of Integrative Plant Biology

Melatonin seed priming: A climate‐smart, green strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants

  • Ali Raza1,2
  • Y LI1,2
  • Chunli Guo1,2
  • Erna Karalija3
  • Evgenios Agathokleous4,5
  • Meng Jiang6,7
  • Jie Zhou8,6
  • Vasileios Fotopoulos9
  • Zhangli Hu1,10,11,2
11 affiliations
  1. 1Guangdong Key Laboratory of Plant Epigenetics, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 China
  2. 2Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography Shenzhen University Shenzhen 518060 China
  3. 3Faculty of Science, Laboratory for Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology University of Sarajevo Sarajevo 71000 Bosnia and Herzegovina
  4. 4Key Laboratory of Agrometeorology of Jiangsu Province, School of Ecology and Applied Meteorology Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST) Nanjing 210044 China
  5. 5Research Center for Global Changes and Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration & Mitigation, School of Ecology and Applied Meteorology Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST) Nanjing 210044 China
  6. 6Hainan Institute, Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City Zhejiang University Sanya 572025 China
  7. 7National Key Laboratory of Rice Biology and Breeding, The Advanced Seed Institute Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310058 China
  8. 8Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Horticultural Crop Quality Regulation Zhejiang University Hangzhou 310058 China
  9. 9Department of Agricultural Sciences, Biotechnology & Food Science Cyprus University of Technology Lemesos 3036 Cyprus
  10. 10Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional Substances in Medicinal Resources and Healthcare Products, School of Life Sciences and Food Engineering Hanshan Normal University Chaozhou 521041 China
  11. 11Hunan Innovation Center for Synthetic Biomanufacturing Industry Hunan University of Arts and Science Changde 415000 China
Open at sourceDOICite

Abstract

Enhancing crop tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is critical for achieving sustainable agriculture. Targeted seed-stage interventions using natural signaling compounds (e.g., melatonin) provide a unique opportunity to establish early stress tolerance that can persist through the critical seed-to-seedling transition. Melatonin seed priming (MSP) is rapidly emerging as a green and climate-smart strategy for enhancing plant stress tolerance. MSP triggers defensive molecular, biochemical, and physiological reprogramming during germination, thereby improving plant performance under subsequent stress conditions. This review synthesizes recent mechanistic insights into how MSP confers stress tolerance across diverse species by modulating redox signaling, hormonal homeostasis, and stress-related gene networks. We elucidate the synergistic potential of MSP when combined with nanoformulations, other priming agents, or beneficial microbes. We also discuss its crosstalk with key signaling pathways to better understand the tolerance mechanisms. Furthermore, we propose a forward-looking strategy that integrates omics, genome editing, speed breeding, and molecular phenotyping methods to improve MSP applications for the development of stress-smart crops. Despite its potential, MSP still faces multiple challenges, including species-specific responses, dosage variability, limited post-priming seed storage stability, and a lack of field-scale validation. Addressing these bottlenecks through high-throughput screening, epigenetic memory assessment, and optimized delivery systems will be essential to fully harness the practical potential of MSP as a sustainable and green approach for future agriculture.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{raza2026melatonin,
  title = {{Melatonin seed priming: A climate‐smart, green strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants}},
  author = {Ali Raza and Y LI and Chunli Guo and Erna Karalija and Evgenios Agathokleous and Meng Jiang and Jie Zhou and Vasileios Fotopoulos and Zhangli Hu},
  journal = {Journal of Integrative Plant Biology},
  year = {2026},
  month = may,
  doi = {10.1111/jipb.70291},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.70291},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Melatonin seed priming: A climate‐smart, green strategy to enhance abiotic stress tolerance in plants
AU  - Ali Raza
AU  - Y LI
AU  - Chunli Guo
AU  - Erna Karalija
AU  - Evgenios Agathokleous
AU  - Meng Jiang
AU  - Jie Zhou
AU  - Vasileios Fotopoulos
AU  - Zhangli Hu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/24
JO  - Journal of Integrative Plant Biology
DO  - 10.1111/jipb.70291
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/jipb.70291
AB  - Enhancing crop tolerance to multiple abiotic stresses is critical for achieving sustainable agriculture. Targeted seed-stage interventions using natural signaling compounds (e.g., melatonin) provide a unique opportunity to establish early stress tolerance that can persist through the critical seed-to-seedling transition. Melatonin seed priming (MSP) is rapidly emerging as a green and climate-smart strategy for enhancing plant stress tolerance. MSP triggers defensive molecular, biochemical, and physiological reprogramming during germination, thereby improving plant performance under subsequent stress conditions. This review synthesizes recent mechanistic insights into how MSP confers stress tolerance across diverse species by modulating redox signaling, hormonal homeostasis, and stress-related gene networks. We elucidate the synergistic potential of MSP when combined with nanoformulations, other priming agents, or beneficial microbes. We also discuss its crosstalk with key signaling pathways to better understand the tolerance mechanisms. Furthermore, we propose a forward-looking strategy that integrates omics, genome editing, speed breeding, and molecular phenotyping methods to improve MSP applications for the development of stress-smart crops. Despite its potential, MSP still faces multiple challenges, including species-specific responses, dosage variability, limited post-priming seed storage stability, and a lack of field-scale validation. Addressing these bottlenecks through high-throughput screening, epigenetic memory assessment, and optimized delivery systems will be essential to fully harness the practical potential of MSP as a sustainable and green approach for future agriculture.
SN  - 0577-7496
SN  - 1672-9072
SN  - 1744-7909
ER  -