Pre-germination treatments are a promising tool for improving germination and early seedling development in economically important crops such as maize. The objective of this study was to evaluate different pre-germination treatments and identify the most effective ones for germination and early seedling development of the Zacatecas 58 maize variety. Variables such as daily germination (DG), total germination (GT), and time to 50% germination (T50) (indicators of germination speed and synchronization) were measured. For seedling development, stem and root length and dry matter weight were measured, and the data were analyzed using analysis of variance for completely randomized designs. The most effective treatments for germination among the chemical substances were acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) at 0.06% (81% germination) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) at 3% (84% germination), both superior to the control (75%) in germination speed and synchronization. The plant extracts that exhibited a hormetic effect were garlic at 15%, chili pepper at 15%, and onion at 25% and 50%. Regarding plant development, onion extracts significantly stimulated stem and root length. Biopriming with strains of Pseudomonas fungipugnans and P. hunanensis obtained from corn roots improved root length and dry weight, while Bacillus strains from tomato roots had no apparent effect on the corn seedlings. It is concluded that concentration and application time are critical factors and that plant extracts, biopriming, and chemical compounds represent viable and economical alternatives for improving seedling germination and vigor. A certain species-specific relationship between the root microbiota and its host was also demonstrated.
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