An experiment was conducted in controlled lab condition with 20 maize ( Zea maysL.) inbred lines to find out tolerant and sensitive genotypes under low temperature stress (10oC). Seeds were primed with salicylic acid (SA) @ 20ppm, 40ppm and 50ppm along with hydro (water) priming for overnight and sown in plastic trays (size 18×12 cm) filled with well mixed fertilized soil. Dry seeds were considered as control. Low temperature exposure was given in Plant Growth Chamber upto10 days. Morphophysiological observations were taken and found that hydro primed and salicylic acid treatments (20ppm, 40ppm and 50ppm) reduced time taken to 50% emergence (in days), mean emergence time (in days) and emergence index (%) and increased shoot length(cm), root length(cm) and relative water content (%) in all maize genotypes as compared to dry treatment (non-primed seeds). However, salicylic acid @ 20ppm, 40ppm and 50ppm treatments significantly increased the response of above parameters in genotypes HUZM-185 at parHKI-164-4 (1-3)2 as compared to dry and hydro primed treatments, while these values were found minimum in genotypes HUZM-80-1at par HUZM-36. Interestingly, among all SA treatments

20ppm performed best on aforesaid parameters in genotypes HUZM-185 and HKI-164-4 (1-3)2 while least in genotypes HUZM-80-1 and HUZM-36 as compared to dry, hydro, 40ppm and 50ppm of SA treatments.