An integrated artificial intelligence and nano-bio-stimulant seed coating system enhances climate resilience through predictive phenotyping

Climate change intensifies abiotic stresses such as drought and salinity during seed germination, threatening global food security. While nano-bio-stimulant coatings and artificial intelligence for vigor diagnosis have emerged as promising tools, their integration into a smart, closed-loop system remains unexplored. Here, we present a seed enhancement platform combining AI-based predictive phenotyping with nano-bio-stimulant technology. A hybrid Vision Transformer-Deep learning model trained on hyperspectral images (400–1000 nm) of 16,000 seeds achieved an AUC of 0.993 for non-destructive vigor prediction. High-vigor seeds were coated with a multi-layer formulation: a synthetic microbial community (SynCom) of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis, overlaid with chitosan nanoparticles infused with L-amino acids and ascorbic acid. Under drought stress, the AI-Selected + Coated group achieved 95% germination and 58% increase in seedling biomass (P = 0.0003), significantly outperforming controls. Biochemical assays confirmed enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity and osmolyte accumulation, indicating priming of stress-responsive pathways. This study demonstrates that merging digital intelligence and nano-biotechnology creates a synergistic, scalable solution for climate-resilient agriculture.