PONE-D-21-40294On-Farm Hydro and Nutri-Priming Increases Yield of Rainfed Pearl Millet through Physio-Biochemical Adjustments and Anti-Oxidative Defense MechanismPLOS ONE

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Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

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5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #1: Authors properly designed the MS and follow standard methods during preparation. Authors also interpreted the result and discussed all trait in a classic way. The results are good and showing the effective methods under rainfed conditions

Reviewer #2: Title: On-Farm Hydro and Nutri-Priming Increases Yield of Rainfed Pearl Millet through Physio-Biochemical Adjustments and Anti-Oxidative Defense Mechanism.by

N K Gupta; Sunita Gupta; Jogendra Singh; Nitin K Garg; DebanjanaSaha; Rajesh Kumar Singhal; TalhaJaved; Asma A. Al-Huqail; Hayssam M. Ali; Manzer H. Siddiqui; MursleenYasin

Comments/suggestions:

I have gone through the manuscript and found it interesting for direct benefit to the farmers without monitory input. I have following suggestions:

Authors must add recent and updated literature on seed priming; mechanism of priming; why priming is important; which makes this study significant compared to others; why authors have chosen this topic for research purpose.

Statistical analysis section must be improved; be clear; add more detail about procedure for the determination of yield components

Discussion is simple; Do not just simply state the previous literature; give logical reasoning for supporting your results

Add concluding statement from your achieved findings

Check figure legends and make KNO "3" subscript as well for H2O2; check other as well

Reviewer #3: Thank you for inviting me as reviewer of the MS entitled “On-Farm Hydro and Nutri-Priming Increases Yield of Rainfed Pearl Millet through Physio-Biochemical Adjustments and Anti-Oxidative Defense Mechanism”. The authors did a great job in planning of experiment, conducting research, and followed the standard of the journal. Although, I have some suggestions which can be incorporate before final publication.

Line54-55: Delete last sentence from abstract.

Line 68-71: Delete and add appropriate and recent literature depicting the mechanism of seed priming i.e., imbibition, active metabolism

Line 112-113: Extensive research is required to establish the fact that technology/variety is ready for commercial purpose. Please delete the sentence and avoid such statements throughout the manuscript

Line108-111: Add hypothesis statement and correlate it with the aim/objective of the study

Line 122: Add space between 48 and °C; Add ° sign from the insert option of word document. Check throughout the manuscript and correct it

Also author can add some characteristics of Pearl millet crop why this crop selected for present study.

Line 158-59: randomized complete block design (RCBD)

Line 166: crops?? Did authors cultivated many crops for experimental purpose?

Line 177: Add country and location of instrument from where it was purchased

Line 240: Change to “Yield and related attributes”

Line 249-251: authors stated RCBD in line 158 whereas in lines 249-251 authors stated CRD factorial for field experimentation. Be clear

Please correct the unit for gram g not gm

Expand the DAS in material and methods

Results and Discussion: Authors properly interpreted the results and discussed properly. The observed data clearly showed that seed priming treatments even hydropriming induces the physiological and biochemical traits which provide stress tolerance and defense.

Conclusion: Although this is 2 year experiment so authors can recommended the priming dose for particular crop.

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Reviewer #1: Yes: Retired Prof. Bandana Bose

Reviewer #2: Yes: Muhammad Zaryab Khalid

Reviewer #3: Yes: Uttam Kumar

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Submitted filename: Comments BB.docx

On-Farm Hydro and Nutri-Priming Increases Yield of Rainfed Pearl Millet through Physio-Biochemical Adjustments and Anti-Oxidative Defense Mechanism

PONE-D-21-40294R1

Dear Dr. Javed,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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Kind regards,

Shah Fahad, Ph.D

Academic Editor

PLOS ONE

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

Reviewer #3: All comments have been addressed

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2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented.

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.

Reviewer #2: Yes

Reviewer #3: Yes

**********

6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)

Reviewer #2: (No Response)

Reviewer #3: All my concerns are addressed in this version of manuscript. Please process and accept this version of the manuscript

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7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.

Reviewer #2: Yes: Muhammad Zaryab Khalid

Reviewer #3: No