UV-C Irradiation and Spirulina-Based Priming to Enhance Salt Stress Tolerance and Sanitary Quality in Criollo Maize Seeds

This dataset supports the study titled "UV-C Irradiation and Spirulina Priming as Conditioning Strategies for Criollo Maize under Saline Stress Condition". It presents experimental results from three controlled trials evaluating the effects of UV-C pre-sowing treatments and Spirulina-based hydro- and nutri-priming on the germination, physiological quality, fungal resistance, and salt stress tolerance of native maize (Zea mays) seeds. The research demonstrates that combining UV-C irradiation (10–15 min) with 0.5 g/L Spirulina improves early germination indicators (e.g., G30–G54), enhances the Emergence Velocity Index (EVI), reduces fungal infestation by up to 68%, and increases salt stress tolerance by up to 86%. The experiments were conducted using different UV-C irradiation systems and Spirulina concentrations (0.5–3 g/L), with physiological and sanitary traits evaluated under both saline and non-saline conditions. Results include principal component analyses (PCA), reflectance spectra, and seed colourimetric changes, supporting the eco-friendly potential of integrated physical-biological seed conditioning techniques for sustainable agriculture in salt-affected regions of Mexico.