Thellungiella halophila (salt cress) is a salt tolerant species with high genetic and morphological similarity to model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.
The role of growth regulators in imposing seed dormancy and a release
from it while responding to environmental signals has been examined.
Seeds of salt cress possess a deep dormancy at maturity which decreased during after-ripening and cold stratification.
After-ripened seeds of salt cress failed to germinate in dark and in strong light (134 lmol m-2 s-1 )
while best seed germination was obtained in weak white
light (1–10 lmol m-2 s-1) at 22 C.
The germination of non-dormant salt cress seeds was also regulated by red and
far-red light.
Light enhanced the sensitivity to gibberellin in dark-imbibed salt cress seeds and strong light inhibited biosynthesis of gibberellins.
The endogenous abscisic acid was not affected by strong light implying that inhibition of seed germination is not mediated through ABA signals.
Higher seed germination was recorded at a constant