| The sorghum variety ‘Liaoza 15’ was used as the test material. By employing CaCl2 priming and the application of relevant hormone inhibitors, we analyzed the germination characteristics of sorghum seeds under salt stress, the content of gibberellins (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA), and the expression changes of associated genes. The results showed that salt stress significantly inhibited the germination of sorghum seeds. The average germination time and 50% germination time of sorghum seeds were significantly increased by 76.41% and 92.75%, respectively. The content of GA3 in germinated sorghum seeds was significantly decreased by 63.01%, and the content of ABA was significantly increased by 108.71%. However, CaCl2 priming significantly promoted the germination of sorghum seeds under salt stress. Compared to the control under salt stress, CaCl2 priming upregulated the expression levels of GA synthesis genes GA20ox1B, GA20ox1D, and GA20ox2, as well as ABA catabolic genes ABA8ox1, ABA8ox2, and ABA8ox3. This led to a 117.19% increase in GA3 content and a 30.40% decrease in ABA content in sorghum seeds under salt stress, resulting in a 114.94% increase in germination rate, and a significant increase in shoot length and root length by 265.73% and 190.37%, respectively. When GA synthesis or ABA degradation inhibitors were added to the priming agent, GA3 content significantly decreased by 28.29%, and ABA content significantly increased by 31.49%, inhibiting the germination of sorghum seeds. After treatment with a calcium inhibitor, GA3 content significantly decreased by 41.25%, and ABA content significantly increased by 29.45%, further inhibiting the germination of sorghum seeds. In conclusion, CaCl2 priming promoted the germination of sorghum seeds under salt stress by regulating GA synthesis and ABA degradation. |