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ABSTRACT Exposing seeds to agents that elicit tolerance to abiotic stress, such as phytohormones and organic acids, during hydration and dehydration cycles can determine their response to later stimuli, e.g. exposure to salt stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the action of priming cycles with different eliciting agents of salt stress tolerance on seeds of the cowpea varieties Sempre Verde and Pingo de Ouro. The seeds were subjected to the following treatments: 0.0 mM NaCl (control); 100 mM NaCl (salt stress); salt stress + three seed-priming cycles (PC) in water; salt stress + PC in gibberellic acid; salt stress + PC in hydrogen peroxide; salt stress + PC in salicylic acid; salt stress + PC in ascorbic acid. The following variables were analysed: germination, growth, dry weight, salt tolerance index, total soluble sugars, total free amino acids and proline. Salt stress (100 mM NaCl) reduced germination, length and biomass accumulation in the Sempre Verde and Pingo de Ouro varieties. These showed the best response to the priming cycles with gibberellic and salicylic acids, which promoted greater germination potential, length and biomass under a salt stress of 100 mM NaCl, affording greater tolerance via osmotic regulation, especially in the Sempre Verde variety.