Cotton seed management: traditional and emerging treatment approaches for enhanced productivity

Cotton, a crucial commercial fibre crop, depends heavily on seed-associated characteristics like germination rate, vigour, and resistance to post-harvest deterioration for both production and lint quality. Serious cellular damage during post-harvest processes such as delinting, prolonged seedling emergence periods, decreased viability, increased susceptibility to infections, and lipid peroxidation during storage pose serious problems to seed quality. The performance of seeds and total crop productivity are adversely affected by these problems. Traditional methods of seed improvement, like physical scarification and seed priming, have demonstrated promise in raising cotton seed vigour and germination rates. Furthermore, modern approaches including plasma therapies, magnetic water treatments, and nanotechnology-based treatments have shown promise in improving seed quality and reducing environmental stresses. By offering sustainable substitutes for conventional approaches, these cutting-edge procedures lessen the need for fungicides and other agrochemicals that pollute the environment. This review explores various conventional and emerging strategies to address the detrimental factors impacting cotton seed quality. It emphasizes the importance of integrating classical and advanced approaches to enhance germination, ensure robust crop establishment, and achieve higher yields. In addition to promoting sustainable cotton production, this kind of integration helps preserve the ecosystem and create resilient farming methods.