Germination and seedling development of lettuce in relation to water salinity

Keeping in view the magnitude of the salinity problems in the Northeast region and the inexistence of salinity tolerance indications for lettuce cv. Elba, an experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design, with the objective of studying the effects of 6 levels of electrical conductivity of the irrigation water (ECw) varying from 0.3 to 3.8 dS m-1 on the vigor and formation of lettuce seedling. The irrigation water of desired ECw was prepared maintaining equivalent proportion of 7:2:1, among Na:Ca:Mg, respectively. All the variables studied were affected by salinity during germination and in the seedling stage, however ECw of 3.8 dS m-1, considered as being of severe agricultural restriction, provided on average 90% of relative germination, 61% of vigor and seedling with 50% growth, permits to classify lettuce as moderately tolerant to salinity during germination and moderately sensitive in the seedling phase.

vigor; vigor index; phytomass; Lactuca sativa L.