Osmoconditioning of lettuce seed to alleviate adverse effects of salinity on germination and early growth

Abstract

Osmoconditioning of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) seed improved tolerance to salinity, resulting in a higher rate and percentage of germination and increased plant height, fresh and dry weight at the stage of transplantation (6 weeks after sowing). The efficacy of osmoconditioning on plant growth varied with cultivar, being greater for cv. Cristel and Juventa and less for cv. White Boston. It is proposed that osmoconditioning offers a practical means of confronting problems of salinity in regions where lettuce is sown and irrigated with low quality water.