Inheritance of gynoecy parthenocarpy and yield in cucumber Cucumis sativus L

Abstract

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is cross-pollinated and generally monoecious in nature but gynoecious lines are also present which can be utilized efficiently for commercial F1 hybrid production. Monoecious cultivars require pollen for fruit sets which are not suitable for protected cultivation however fruits of these cultivars are highly demanded by consumers because of their crispiness and tender fruits. In the contrary, gynoecious cultivars with parthenocarpic traits do not require pollen for fertilization and thus fruit development and help in off-season production under protected conditions. Gynoecious and parthenocarpic cultivars have been used in production, but their genetic mechanism in cucumber is not well understood with conflicting reports. Also, the stability of gynoecious with parthenocarpic traits is highly influenced by environmental factors. newline