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Persistence of Red Light Induction in Lettuce Seeds of Varying Hydration ¹

^a Department of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, New Jersey 08102

Incubation of lettuce seeds (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Grand Rapids) in 0.3 M mannitol allows sufficient water uptake to make seeds fully sensitive to red light. But germination is possible only after lowering the osmotic potential of the incubation medium. The red light induction of these incompletely hydrated seeds can be reversed by far red light. Their reversibility declines with time at a slower rate than seeds incubated in water. About half the seeds in 0.3 M mannitol respond to far red light when all seeds in water have escaped control by far red light. Close to 100% of the seeds remain sensitive to far red exposure if 0.6 M mannitol is used as osmoticum. The retention of the original red light stimulus is inversely related to the concentration of the incubation medium.

The fresh weight of viable seeds incubated with water or with an osmoticum increases rapidly during the first 5 hours, then remains stationary for about 12 hours. After that only germinating seeds experience a second increase in fresh weight. Heat-killed seeds do not show such a discontinuity in water uptake.