An experiment was carried out in pots under open field conditions in the fall seasons of 2017 and 2018 at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad, for improving field emergence and drought stress tolerance in sorghum. Three factors were studied. 1st factor was three cultivars (Inqath, Rabeh and Buhoth70). 2nd factor was primed and unprimed seed. 3rd factor was represented by the irrigation intervals every 2, 4 and 6 days. Randomized complete block design with four replicates was used. The results showed that Buhoth 70 cultivar had a significant superiority compared to others in traits of the first and final count of emergence, emergence energy and emergence rate index (54.2%, 26.7%, 1.747 and 70.7 % day-1 ) and (58.8%, 22.7%, 1.677 and 7..4 % day-1 ) in both seasons, respectively. The primed seeds had a significant superiority in comparison with unprimed seeds in the same traits above (74.6%, 21.1%, 1.746 and 77.1 % day-1 ) and (64.1%, 24.4%, 1.641 and 7... % day-1 ) in both seasons, respectively. The irrigation interval every 2 days had a significant superiority compared to others in the same traits above (74.6%, 2..7%, 1.746 and 70.2 % day-1 ) and (60.6%, 2...%, 1.616 and 77.4 % day-1 ) in both seasons, respectively. The interaction effect between priming seeds (by gibberellin and salicylic acids) and irrigation intervals was significant on all studied traits. The cultivars were varied in their ability to resist drought stress, and the primed seed has improved their performance to resist drought stress in both seasons. Therefore, it can be recommended planting of primed seeds of Buhoth70 cultivar under conditions of drought stress or not.
