The application of short-term stresses or elicitors in seedlings or embryos with high metabolic activity might increase multi-adversity tolerance. Beans seeds cv. IAC-Carioca were exposed to cold shock temperatures (S - 7°C 24h-1) and salicylic acid (SA - 0.01 mM 48h-1) during imbibition to study physiological responses to osmotic stress physiological responses. The seeds were soaked in paper towel imbibed in water or salicylic acid at 25°C for 24h. The seed were subsequently submitted to temperatures of 7ºC and 25ºC for another 24h in water or salicylic acid. Following each treatment, the seeds were transferred to mannitol solutions (0, -0.3, -0.6, and -1.2 MPa) and evaluated after seven days for germination, vigour, shoot and root length, dry mass,... |