Most lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) seed fails to germinate at high temperatures. This phenomenon thermodormancy, is common in desert regions where 87% of all lettuce is grown in the U.S.A. A study was conducted using a non-thermodormant plant introduction, PI 251245, and two highly thermodormant Dutch butterhead cultivars, 'Dabora' and 'Severa'. Reciprocal crosses were made and germination trials conducted to observe how maternal and paternal influence and seed color contribute to thermodormancy. At 25 °C, germination was 100% for the three parents and the reciprocal F1 hybrids. Germination differences occurred at both 30° and 35 °C among the parents, with P1251245 with 100% germination and Dabora and Severa with less than 10% germination at both temperatures. Segregating F3 and F4 populations from Dabora x PI 251245 were investigated further. Genetic variation found between families suggests that breeding lettuce for improved thermotolerance may be possible. Seed color did not influence thermodormancy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:arizona.edu/oai:arizona.openrepository.com:10150/214771 |
| Date | 08 1900 |
| Creators | Hurlburt, M. W. II, Ray, D. T. |
| Contributors | Oebker, Norman F. |
| Publisher | College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) |
| Source Sets | University of Arizona |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text, Article |
| Relation | 370104, Series P-104 |
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