Interactions between Mild NaCl Stress and Red Light during Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv Grand Rapids) Seed Germination

The sensitivity of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. cv Grand Rapids) seeds to red light was reduced by NaCl concentrations which had no effect upon the germination of continuously illuminated seeds. The germination capacity of the seeds was fully restored by increased red light exposures. Indirect evidence indicates that NaCl does not affect the photoconversion of red-absorbing form of phytochrome to the far-red absorbing form of phytochrome. Instead, the increased red light requirements are attributable to increases in the threshold levels of the far-red absorbing form of phytochrome necessary to induce germination and to changes in the slopes of the fluence-response curves. Results also show that the sensitivity of the seeds to NaCl decreased as the time between red light irradiation and the imposition of NaCl stress increased.