Nutrient seed priming improves seedling development of maize exposed to low root zone temperatures during early growth

•Nutrient seed priming improves early seedling development and root growth of maize exposed to low root zone temperatures.•Low soil or root zone temperature (RZT) is a major problem for maize growth in Central and Northern Europe.•In maize, low RZT severely inhibits the early seedling establishment, root growth and nutrient uptake.•Micronutrient seed priming significantly improved early seedling development and nutrient uptake under low RZT.•Although nutrient priming increased grain yield but the mechanisms behind require further research.

Low root zone temperature (RZT) in early spring is a major constraint for maize production in Central and Northern Europe. Nutrient acquisition, nutrient uptake and particularly root growth are severely reduced at low RZT and the consequences of these growth depressions are frequently not completely compensated until final harvest. Perspectives to overcome these limitations by seed priming treatments with different micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn) were studied with maize seedlings exposed to low RZT (12 °C).Model experiments were performed in nutrient solution and soil culture using rhizo-boxes with root observation windows under green house conditions. To observe effects on final grain yield, additionally two field experiments were conducted in 2010 and 2011. Nutrient seed priming resulted in a significant increase in seed contents of the respective nutrients, i.e. Fe (25%), Zn (500%) and Mn (800%). At low RZT, biomass production and total root length of maize plants were significantly increased after Fe and Zn + Mn priming treatments, both in nutrient solution and in rhizo-box culture. There was no prominent difference in shoot Fe, Zn, Mn and P concentrations but total shoot contents per plant were significantly increased after nutrient seed priming. Plant growth promotion and improved micronutrient status was detectable also under field conditions at 5 weeks after sowing. This offers perspectives for using micronutrient seed priming for improving early seedling development and plant nutrient status of maize under low temperature climatic conditions.