ISHS Acta Horticulturae 287: II International Symposium on Protected Cultivation of Vegetables in Mild Winter Climates
GROWTH OF FOUR CUCUMBER ( CUCUMIS SATIVUS L. ) CULTIVARS AT SUBOPTIMAL TEMPERATURES AND STORAGE BEHAVIOR OF THEIR FRUIT AT DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES |
| Authors: | C.M. Kapitsimadi, O. Røeggen, H. Hoftun |
| Abstract:
Growth analysis of plants raised under controlled environments (12, 15, 18 and 20°C, and 21 h photoperiod) was used to examine whether varietal differences in the minimum germination temperature of four cucumber cultivars persist during growth at suboptimal temperatures. Relative growth rate, leaf weight ratio, specific leaf area and leaf area ratio were calculated in order to compare the cultivars. Long exposure at 12°C resulted in death of cucumber seedlings. The variation in total plant dry weight was low between the cultivars under the same treatment. The genotypic variation in relative growth rates, leaf weight ratios, specific leaf areas and leaf area ratios was also low. The cucumber cultivars did not retain their initial advantage regarding germination at low temperatures during emergence and the subsequent phase of vegetative growth. The post-harvest behavior of the fruit of the same cultivars was studied at 11, 12, 13 and 14°C. The cucumbers were evaluated after three, six and nine weeks of storage. Differences in chilling sensitivity, decay, weight loss, color change and respiration rate were found between the cultivars. Cultivar 'Spángbergs Vit' showed chilling injury at 11°C, whereas 'Plura' had 11°C as the optimum storage temperature. The optimum storage temperature for 'Rhensk Druv' was found to be between 11 to 12°C and that of 'Kokard' and 'Spángbergs Vit' between 13 to 14°C. A good correspondence was found between the seed minimum germination temperature and the fruit optimum storage temperature of the four cultivars tested. | |
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