Light Quality Differentially Regulates Germination and Dormancy in Kochia ( <i>Bassia scoparia</i> ) and Common Lambsquarters ( <i>Chenopodium album</i> )

Abstract Seed germination responses to light influence the timing of weed emergence and management outcomes. We evaluated (1) variation in light-dependent germination among germplasm sources, (2) the relationship between primary dormancy and far-red light-enforced germination inhibition, and (3) the role of seed size in light-dependent dormancy. Between 2022 and 2025, germination of 70 kochia ( Bassia scoparia [L.] A. J. Scott) populations and 49 common lambsquarters ( Chenopodium album L.) accessions was evaluated under three light environments—dark, red, and far-red—for both freshly harvested and stored seed. Bassia scoparia germination did not differ among light environments (ANOVA, P = 0.67), indicating weak photoblastic regulation at the species level. In contrast, C. album exhibited pronounced differences in light-dependent germination among accessions (P &lt; 0.0001). Accessions with greater primary dormancy, defined as the difference between germination of freshly harvested and stored seed, exhibited stronger far-red-enforced germination inhibition, indicating coordinated regulation of dormancy depth and light sensitivity. Seed weight was not strongly associated with primary dormancy (Spearman ρ = 0.057, P = 0.11) or far-red suppression (ρ = 0.50, P = 0.06). These results indicate that variation in light-dependent dormancy and germination in C. album is governed primarily by genetic and physiological regulation of light perception rather than by seed size.