Seed priming is involved in the speedy germination, early growth and various physiological and biochemical processes of plant. Low zinc (Zn) availability in alkaline soil and its binding in soil reduce its uptake by plants which affect all the growth traits. Durum wheat (DW) seed being comparatively hard than common bread wheat sometimes fails to germinate due to hardness. Research was conducted on Phenology and growth of durum wheat as influenced by different priming sources and foliar Zinc application at various growth stages during rabi season 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 at the Agronomy Research Farm, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar-Pakistan. Experiments were conducted in RCB design with split-plot arrangement replicated thrice. Priming sources included [no priming (control), Hydro-priming, Halo-priming (priming with NaCl)] and Zn levels included 0 (no Zn application), 2.25, 4.5 and 6.75 kg Zn ha^-1) applied at various growth stages i.e. (100% at tillering, 100% at boot and 50 % at tillering+50% boot stages). ZnSO₄.7H₂O was used as a source of Zn. Priming sources and Zn application stages were assigned to main plots and Zn levels to the subplots. DW cv. Pasta-18 was sown in lines 30 cm apart with hand hoe at the seed rate of 120 kg ha^-1 on 4^th Nov 2020 during 1^st year and 7^th Nov 2021 during 2^nd year. There were 10 rows in each subplot and row length was 3 meter recommended doses of NPK i.e. 120:90:60 were used. Irrigation was applied when needed. Weeding was carried with recommended weedicides for narrow and broad leaf weeds. The results revealed significant variation in most of the phonological and physiological attributes of DW during both years. Early emergence (13 days), maximum emergence (120 m^-2), less number of days to tillering (34), highest plant height (105.9 cm) were recorded in plots where seeds were hydro-primed. Lower values for all the aforementioned parameters were recorded in non-primed seed plots. Early maturity (175 days) and minimum values for all the above mentioned traits were recorded in plots where foliar Zn was applied 100% at tillering stage. Significantly, higher days taken to anthesis (135.7 days), maturity (174.3 days), maximum plant height (105.3 cm), SPAD value (53.3) of DW were observed in plots where Zn was applied at the rate 4.5 kg ha^-1 followed by plots where foliar Zn was applied at the rate 6.75 kg ha^-1 however, minimum values for all the mentioned observation were recorded in control experimental plots. It was concluded from the results that hydro-priming improved germination, enhanced early and uniform emergence of DW stand. Therefore, to maximize the phonological and yielding attributes of durum wheat it is recommended to ensure seed hydro-priming and foliar zinc application @ 2.4 kg ha^-1 50% at tillering+50% at boot stage.

Index Terms- Seed primming; Phenology;Zinc application, triticale and Yield and yield components