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.
