Seed priming and microfertlization

Seed priming and microfertilization are two agronomic measures to increase soil fertility and increase crop harvests in semi-arid drylands. Seed priming consists of soaking seeds for 8 hours prior to sowing, and microfertilization is the application of small amounts of mineral fertilizer to the planting hole.

Priming will increase water use efficiency and results show that yields can be increased by 50% if microfertilization is combined with seed priming. Seed priming and microfertilization can be practiced independently from each other; however, the combination reduces the risk of crop failure and shows best results in terms of yield increase.