How Indicative are Changes in Major Metabolites for Freezing Tolerance of Wheat?

Relative growth rate of winter wheat at low temperature (day/night, 4/2 °C) was about 0.02 g g^?1 fresh weight day^?1. There was a substantial increase in dry matter content of shoots and roots, especially during the first week of low temperature exposure, which for the greater part could be attributed to an accumulation of soluble sugars and starch. The freezing tolerance (LT₅₀) of the leaf tissue gradually increased with 6 °C during the 6 weeks exposure, whereas freezing tolerance of roots was hardly affected. Upon low temperature exposure there was an increase in the content of water-soluble non-protein thiols (mainly glutathione), soluble sugars, starch, amino acids and total nitrogen in both shoots and roots. The most substantial increases in the content of thiols, sugars and amino acids already occurred within hours or a few days after the onset of the exposure. The nitrate content in shoots showed a rapid and strong decrease during low temperature exposure, however, in roots its content remained unaffected. It is proposed that the observed rapid increases in the content of various metabolites at low temperature are primarily due to an altered balance in their synthesis and their consumption in growth. There was no direct relation between increases in the content of the various metabolites and the degree of freezing tolerance of the tissue.     

Physiological responses of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) to submergence

A split-plot design was used to study the physiological responses of anti-oxidative enzymes and carbohydrate contents of bermudagrass to different durations (0, 3, 7, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days) and depths of submergence (0, 1, 5 and 15 m). The results suggest that submergence caused a higher production of malondialdehyde and more significant changes in the different submerged treatments. The activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) in roots increased with the increase of the durations and depths of submergence, implying an integrated pathway involving CAT, SOD, POD, GR and APX for protection against the detrimental effects of activated oxygen species under submergence. Total soluble carbohydrate and starch contents of shoots and roots decreased with the increase of the depth and duration of submergence, but remained at relatively high level at the end of the study, showing quiescence is one of the major strategies of bermudagrass under the stress of submergence. The results suggest that bermudagrass can endure long-term and deep submergence by balancing between the formation and detoxification of activated oxygen species, lowering metabolism and reserving high amounts of carbohydrate.     

Growth and shoot formation in protoplast-derived calli of Brassica oleracea ssp. acephala and ssp. capitata

The effect of media components and environmental factors on growth and organogenesis of protoplast-derived calli of curly kale and cabbage were tested. Optimal growth (fresh weight increase of calli, shoots and roots) was found at 60 mM sucrose. Lower sucrose concentrations (3–30 mM) were favourable for shoot formation. Nitrate concentrations from 23 to 100 mM in combination with 8 or 21 mM ammonium were optimal for shoot formation. However, growth was reduced by high (100 mM) nitrate concentration. The effects of various organic nitrogen compounds at 0.5 and 2 mM were tested. Glutamine did not influence shoot formation and barely growth. Proline at 0.5 mM stimulated growth of cabbage calli but decreased growth of curly kale calli, and at 2 mM, proline also inhibited shoot production. Adenine sulphate decreased growth of cabbage calli at 0.5 mM, and at 2 mM shoot production was also reduced. Spermidine and spermine inhibited both growth and differentiation. Putrescine resulted in about 50% higher fresh weights, and also increased the number of calli producing shoots by about 35%. More calli produced shoots in white light than in blue or red light or in darkness. The length of the photoperiod or intensity of light was not critical for shoot production.     

Effects of temperature,photoperiod and culture vessel size on adventitious shoot production of in vitro propagated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Huernia hystrix</Emphasis>

High production costs due to low growth rate in vitro and high labour costs are among factors limiting commercial application of micropropagation techniques. The low growth rate could be due to unfavourable or sub-optimal environmental and chemical conditions of the cultures. The effects of temperature, photoperiod and culture vessel size were investigated on adventitious shoot production of Huernia hystrix. There were significant increases in shoot proliferation with increased temperature in cultures maintained under a 16 h photoperiod. Slow growth observed at low temperatures (15 and 20°C) offers a potential strategy for cost-effective in vitro storage of H. hystrix germplasm. The maximum adventitious shoots produced per explant and percentage of explants producing shoots (4.2 ± 0.74 and 94% respectively) were observed in cultures maintained at 35°C, the optimum temperature for photosynthesis in plants possessing crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). The nocturnal accumulation of organic acids in cultures incubated under a 16 h photoperiod further suggest the presence of CAM in this species. On the other hand, cultures kept under continuous light appear to shift to a C-3 photosynthetic pathway. There was a significant decrease in fresh weight of adventitious shoots regenerated per explant as temperature increased. The use of larger culture vessels further increased the shoot proliferation to 5.6 shoots per explant with a potential production of 3,429 shoots per m² in the growth room compared to 2,750 shoots per m² using culture tubes.     

Studies on the Dormancy of Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull, during Winter: The Effect of Photoperiod and Temperature on the Induction of Dormancy and the Annual Cycle of Development

The effects of daylength and temperature on the induction ofdormancy in shoots of Calluna vulgaris were investigated usingcontrolled environment growth rooms. Short days did not induce dormancy in Calluna but floweringwas inhibited and shoots having a characteristic end-of-seasonmorphology were formed. Short days combined with low temperaturesarrested growth but the depth of dormancy was not as great asthat of plants in the field in late autumn. Long days combinedwith low temperature did not induce dormancy or the end-of-seasonmorphology. Results from the growth room experiments may be interpretedin relation to the annual cycle of development of Calluna underfield conditions. Calluna vulgaris (L.), photoperiod, temperature, dormancy, flowering, annual cycle of development     

Photoperiod and root-zone temperature: Interacting effects on growth and mineral nutrients of maize

Factorial effects of photoperiod (6, 12 and 18 h) and root-zone temperatures (9, 15 and 21°C) on the growth and mineral nutrient concentration and partitioning in maize (Zea mays L.) were investigated. Strong interactions were observed between photoperiod and root-zone temperature on the growth and concentration of numerous mineral elements in the plant tops and roots. For example, a threefold increase in photoperiod (from 6 to 18 h) did not affect the growth of tops or roots if the root-zone temperature was 9°C but increased them each by eightfold if the root-zone temperature was 21°C. On the other hand, raising the root-zone temperature from 9 to 21°C increased the growth of tops and root each by ca. threefold when plants were grown with 6 h of light. At 18 h photoperiod, however, plant growth was increased 20- to 30-fold by the same rise in the root-zone temperature. The concentrations of different mineral elements in the roots and tops were affected quite differently by the interacting effects of photoperiod and root-zone temperature. In general, increasing the photoperiod at a given root-zone temperature decreased the concentrations of elements while increasing the root-zone temperature at a given photoperiod increased the concentrations of most elements in both roots and tops. The exceptions were K and B which reacted opposite to each other: K concentration in both tops and roots was relatively insensitive to photoperiod but very sensitive to root-zone temperature and the reverse was true for boron. The relative insensitivity of plant growth to increased day length as long as the roots are subjected to suboptimal (low) soil temperatures may have survival significance and point to the predominant role of root temperature over that of day length in the early growth of maize. A possible mechanism by which photoperiod and root-zone temperature might interactively alter the nutrient uptake by the roots is discussed.     

Kinetin regulation of growth and secondary metabolism in waterlogging and salinity treated Vigna sinensis and Zea mays

Waterlogging mostly increased fresh weight and water content in shoots and roots of Vigna sinensis and Zea mays while salinity seemed to have a decreasing effect. There was a marked induction of proline in shoots and roots of both plants by salinity with lower values in logged plants. In addition, anthocyanin content was increased in Vigna sinensis by both treatments and in Zea mays only by salinity. Meanwhile the treatments significantly accumulated phenolic compounds in plant shoots. Also there were increased activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and tyrosine ammonia lyase (TAL) in shoots and roots of both plants. Foliar application of kinetin equilibrated, if any, the effects of both treatments on contents of proline, anthocyanin and phenolic compounds as well as activities of PAL and TAL in shoots and roots of treated plants. These findings reveal that kinetin alleviates the stress symptoms and regulates the changes in phenolic metabolism of waterlogged or salinity treated Vigna sinensis and Zea mays.     

Effect of low temperature on ethanolic fermentation in rice seedlings

Rice seedlings (Oryza sativa L.) were incubated at 5-30 degrees C for 48 h and the effect of temperature on ethanolic fermentation in the seedlings was investigated in terms of low-temperature adaptation. Activities of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH, EC 1.1.1.1) and pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC, EC 4.1.1.1) in roots and shoots of the seedlings were low at temperatures of 20-30 degrees C, whereas temperatures of 5, 7.5 and 10 degrees C significantly increased ADH and PDC activities in the roots and shoots. Temperatures of 5-10 degrees C also increased ethanol concentrations in the roots and shoots. The ethanol concentrations in the roots and shoots at 7.5 degrees C were 16- and 12-times greater than those in the roots and shoots at 25 degrees C, respectively. These results indicate that low temperatures (5-10 degrees C) induced ethanolic fermentation in the roots and shoots of the seedlings. Ethanol is known to prevent lipid degradation in plant membrane, and increased membrane-lipid fluidization. In addition, an ADH inhibitor, 4-methylpyrazole, decreased low-temperature tolerance in roots and shoots of rice seedlings and this reduction in the tolerance was recovered by exogenous applied ethanol. Therefore, production of ethanol by ethanolic fermentation may lead to low-temperature adaptation in rice plants by altering the physical properties of membrane lipids.     

The effect of short-term daily temperature drops on the processes of organogenesis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumis sativus</Emphasis> L. under different photoperiods

The effect of nightly temperature drops of different durations (2, 4, and 6 h) on the processes of apical and axillary meristem organogenesis was studied in young Cucumis sativus L. under short photoperiod (day/night, 10/14 h), long photoperiod (16/8 h), and continuous light. Nightly temperature drops for 2 h had no effect on cucumber development under all studied photoperiods; however, longer temperature drops (4–6 h) accelerated the development under long photoperiod and continuous light. Short-term exposures to low temperature under continuous light considerably increased lateral branching of cucumber plants.     

In vitro Organogenesis in Explants from Different Cultivars of Begonia X hiemalis

Petiole explants from 17 cultivars of Begonia X hiemalis were grown on a basal agar medium with different combinations of NAA and BA as well as on media lacking microelements or vitamins. The stock plants were kept either under short days (7–8 h of light perday) at 15°C or under long days (15–16 h of light) at 18–21°C. The day length during the in vitro culture was 20 h of light and the temperature 21°C. Explants from short-day treated stock plants did not show any differentiation. In explants from long-day treated stock plants, the percentage of explants with shoot, root and with both shoot and root initiation were recorded after 55 days. Explants forming both shoots and roots were transferred to soil, and plantlet formation was observed after another 55 days. The percentage of explants with organ and plantlet formation differed between cultivars. With increasing NAA and decreasing BA concentrations, the percentage of explants forming only roots increased, whereas the percentage of explants with only shoots decreased. Plantlet formation was most frequent in explants from NAA: BA ratios of 2: 1 and 10: 1, and a variation was found between different cultivars. When the vitamin fraction was not added to the medium, this did not influence formation of shoots, roots and plantlets. When the microelements were omitted. shoots, roots and callus were formed, but no plantlets.     

Extended alternating-temperature cold acclimation and culture duration improve pear shoot cryopreservation

Meristems of many pear genotypes can be successfully cryopreserved following 1 week of cold acclimation, but an equal number do not survive the process or have very little regrowth. This study compared commonly used cold acclimation protocols to determine whether the cold acclimation technique used affected the cold hardiness of shoots or the regrowth of cryopreserved meristems. In vitro-grown pear (Pyrus L.) shoots were cold acclimated for up to 16 weeks, then either the shoot tips were tested for cold hardiness or the meristems were cryopreserved by controlled freezing. Cold acclimation consisted of alternating temperatures (22 degrees C with light/-1 degrees C darkness with various photo- and thermoperiods) or a constant temperature (4 degrees C with an 8-h photoperiod or darkness). Compared with nonacclimated controls, both alternating- and constant-temperature acclimation significantly improved postcryopreservation regrowth of P. cordata Desv. and P. pashia Buch. -Ham. ex D. Don meristems. Alternating-temperature acclimation combined with either an 8-h photoperiod or darkness was significantly better than constant-temperature acclimation. Alternating-temperature shoot acclimation for 2 to 5 weeks significantly increased postcryopreservation meristem regrowth, and recovery remained high for up to 15 weeks acclimation. Postcryopreservation meristem regrowth increased with 1 to 5 weeks of constant-temperature acclimation and then declined with longer acclimation. Shoot cold hardiness varied with the acclimation procedure. The LT(50) of shoots acclimated for 10 weeks with alternating temperatures was -25 degrees C; that with constant temperature was -14.7 degrees C; and that of the nonacclimated control was -10 degrees C. Less frequent transfer of cultures also improved acclimation of shoots. Shoots grown without transfer to fresh medium for 6-12 weeks had higher postcryopreservation recovery with shorter periods of acclimation than shoots with a 3-week transfer cycle.     

Physio-morphological and structural changes in common bermudagrass and Kentucky bluegrass during salt stress

Environmental pollution has increased human attention toward developing green spaces every day. One of the most important goals in developing green spaces is to create beautiful and pleasant scenes and consequently creating mental relaxation; turfs are the most important plants for this purpose. One factor which affects the growth of plants in arid and semi-arid regions is the salinity of the water and soil; therefore, using some types of turfgrasses which are tolerant to salinity is a key factor for culturing them more in the city landscapes in such regions. The aim of this study was to investigate the physio-morphological and structural changes in common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon [L.] Pers., as more tolerant species) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L., as less tolerant species) under salt stress condition. The salt stress treatments were applied by seven concentrations of NaCl + CaCl₂ (1:1 proportion based on the final EC) including: 0.0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 12.5 and 15.0 dS m^?1. This study was conducted in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangements, each treatment with four replications. Data were analyzed and means were compared using LSD test at 5 % level. Results showed that with increasing salinity levels Kentucky bluegrass started to decrease in visual quality at 2.5 dS m^?1, but bermudagrass’ visual quality was still acceptable at 5.0 dS m^?1. Furthermore, increasing the salinity level caused a reduction in the following indices in both species: shoot height, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, leaf area, photosynthetic rate, total chlorophyll, and starch level. However, the reducing sugar levels and indices of proline, and catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes had shown an increasing trend while salinity increased. However, reducing sugar levels, and catalase and superoxide dismutase activities decreased at salinity levels higher than 10 dS m^?1. Structural studies showed that bermudagrass, with help of bulliform cells, could prevent water loss and tolerate the higher salinity levels. Based on these results, it can be concluded that under the no salinity condition Kentucky bluegrass has more folded leaves than common bermudagrass, however, bermudagrass is more tolerant because of thicker epidermis. Under high salinity conditions, bermudagrass kept their leaves folded, whereas the leaf structure was drastically damaged in bluegrass and no folded leaf was seen at 15 dS m^?1. Further ultrastructural studies are needed to clarify more the changes occurring in leaves under salinity stress condition.     

Osmotic adjustment in triticales grown in presence of NaCl

Growth and Na⁺, K⁺, Cl^-, proteins, sugars and proline concentrations were measured in three triticale genotypes M2A, DF99 and Asseret grown on nutrient solution with or without 75 mM NaCl. In saline conditions, leaf area of the three triticales was reduced by 50 % and dry to fresh mass ratio increased. Total protein concentration was diminished by 10 %. K⁺ concentration decreased whereas Na⁺ and Cl^- accumulated in roots and shoots of salt-stressed plants. This ion accumulation was greater in roots of Asseret than in roots of the other triticales. Soluble sugar concentration increased in M2A and Asseret and decreased in DF99. Proline concentration increased in M2A and DF99 and decreased in Asseret. Osmotic adjustment was essentially realized by Na⁺ and Cl^- uptake. Non-reducing sugars and proline contributed too, but to a lesser extent. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

采后预冷处理和贮藏温度对台湾绿竹笋鲜笋老化的影响

研究采后预冷处理和贮藏温度对台湾绿竹笋鲜笋老化的影响。结果表明,采后预冷处理和贮藏温度对台湾绿竹笋的老化速度、保鲜期和失重率有显著影响。采后预冷处理抑制鲜笋的老化,降低其老化率,延长保鲜期。(5±0.5) ℃恒温箱贮藏下,鲜笋的老化率、失重率低于(30±0.5) ℃恒温箱贮藏,贮藏期则相反。贮藏3、6、9、12 d,(5±0.5) ℃恒温贮藏下的鲜笋失重率均低于1%;(30±0.5) ℃恒温贮藏下,鲜笋失重率分别为26.32%、38.10%、48.04%、55.23%。     

Response of barley grains to the interactive e.ect of salinity and salicylic acid

Effect of grain soaking presowing in 1 mM salicylic acid (SA) and NaCl (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mM) on barley (Hordeum vulgare cv Gerbel) was studied. Increasing of NaCl level reduced the germination percentage, the growth parameters (fresh and dry weight), potassium, calcium, phosphorus and insoluble sugars content in both shoots and roots of 15-day old seedlings. Leaf relative water content (RWC) and the photosynthetic pigments (Chl a, b and carotenoids) contents also decreased with increasing NaCl concentration. On the other hand, Na, soluble sugars, soluble proteins, free amino acids including proline content and lipid peroxidation level and peroxidase activity were increased in the two plant organs with increasing of NaCl level. Electrolyte leakage from plant leaves was found to increase with salinity level. SA-pretreatment increased the RWC, fresh and dry weights, water, photosynthetic pigments, insolube saccharides, phosphorus content and peroxidase activity in the stressed seedlings. On the contrary, Na⁺, soluble proteins content, lipid peroxidation level, electrolyte leakage were markedly reduced under salt stress with SA than without. Under stress conditions, SA-pretreated plants exhibited less Ca²⁺ and more accumulation of K⁺, and soluble sugars in roots at the expense of these contents in the plant shoots. Exogenous application (Grain soaking presowing) of SA appeared to induce preadaptive response to salt stress leading to promoting protective reactions to the photosynthetic pigments and maintain the membranes integrity in barley plants, which reflected in improving the plant growth.     

Biological adaptability under seasonal variation of light/dark cycles

3A substantial amount of experimental models designed to understand rhythms entrainment and the effects of different regimens of light exposure on health have been proposed. However, many of them do not relate to what occurs in real life. Our objective was to evaluate the influence of “seasonal-like” variation in light/dark cycles on biological rhythms. Twenty adult male Wistar rats were assigned to three groups: control (CT), kept in 12:12 light/dark (LD) cycle; long photoperiod/short photoperiod (LP/SP), kept in 16.5:7.5 LD cycle for 18 days (phase A), then 17 days of gradual reductions in light time (phase B), then 18 days of shorter exposure (7.5:16.5 LD cycle, phase C); short photoperiod/long photoperiod (SP/LP) group, with same modifications as the LP/SP group, but in reverse order, starting phase A in 7.5:16.5 LD cycle. Activity and temperature were recorded constantly, and melatonin and cortisol concentrations were measured twice. Activity and temperature acrophases of all groups changed according to light. The correlation between activity and temperature was, overall, significantly lower for SP/LP group compared with LP/SP and CT groups. Regarding melatonin concentration, LP/SP group showed significant positive correlation between phase A and C (p = 0.018). Animals changed temperature and activity according to photoperiod and demonstrated better adaptability in transitioning from long to short photoperiod. Since this model imitates seasonal variation in light in a species that is largely used in behavioral experiments, it reveals promising methods to improve the reliability of experimental models and of further environmental health research.     

桃叶片抗冷性对光周期诱导休眠的响应

以6年生“春捷”桃树为试材,以自然生长的桃树为对照,研究了长日照和短日照的休眠诱导效应和休眠诱导进程中叶片抗冷性对光周期的响应.结果表明: 在逐渐降低的自然环境温度下,长日照和短日照处理树体均能进入休眠诱导期,其中长日照处理延后1周而短日照处理提前1周进入.随着休眠程度的加深,各处理叶片的总含水量、自由水含量降低,束缚水含量、束缚水/自由水比值升高.超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)和过氧化氢酶(CAT)活性在休眠诱导期内均呈单峰曲线,高峰值出现在休眠诱导期的后期,过氧化物酶(POD)活性进入休眠诱导期后迅速下降,后期回升形成小高峰.休眠诱导期内可溶性蛋白含量稳步下降,脯氨酸和丙二醛(MDA)含量持续升高,伤害率逐渐增大.长日照可显著提高SOD、CAT活性及脯氨酸含量,减缓POD活性和可溶性蛋白含量的降幅,降低MDA和伤害率的增幅.这表明长日照处理叶片受伤害程度更轻,而短日照处理相应指标的变化则不同,尤其诱导期后期叶片的伤害率显著高于对照,表现出较低的抗冷性.如果环境温度允许,实际生产中可以适当延长光照时间来提高叶片的抗冷性.     

Alteration of thiol pools in roots and shoots of maize seedlings exposed to cadmium : adaptation and developmental cost

Roots of intact 5-day-old maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings were exposed to 3 micromolar Cd during a 7-day period. Cysteine, γ-glutamylcysteine, glutathione (GSH), and Cd-induced acid-soluble thiols (ASTs), including phytochelatins, were quantified in roots and shoots. Adaptation to Cd and its cost to seedling development were evaluated by measuring Cd content, tissue fresh weight, and rate of root elongation. Roots contained 60 to 67% of the Cd in the seedlings between 4 and 7 days of exposure. Exposure to Cd decreased the fresh weight gain in roots from day 4 onward without affecting the shoots. Between days 1.5 and 3.5 of Cd treatment, roots elongated more slowly than controls; however, their growth rate recovered thereafter and exceeded that of controls. Exposure to Cd did not appreciably affect the concentration of cysteine in the seedlings. However, the initial low concentration of γ-glutamylcysteine increased (after a lag of 6 hours in roots and 2 days in shoots), reaching a plateau by day 6 at 28.5 nanomoles per gram of fresh weight in roots and by day 5 at 19.1 nanomoles per gram of fresh weight in shoots. During the first 9 hours of Cd exposure, the concentration of GSH in roots decreased dramatically (at 31.6 nanomoles per gram of fresh weight per hour) and thereafter decreased more slowly than in controls. The depletion of GSH in the roots (366 nanomoles per gram of fresh weight) matched the synthesis of ASTs (349 nanomoles per gram of fresh weight) during the first 48 hours. The concentration of ASTs in roots increased steadily thereafter to reach 662.2 nanomoles per gram of fresh weight by 6 days of Cd exposure. In shoots, Cd had little influence on the concentration of GSH, but ASTs still accumulated to 173.3 nanomoles per gram fresh weight after 5 days. The molar ratio of thiols in ASTs to Cd increased to a maximum of 10.24 in roots after 4 hours and of 4.25 in shoots after 2 days of Cd exposure. After 4 days, the ratio reached a plateau of approximately 2 in roots and between 2 and 3 in shoots, as if a steady state of Cd chelation had been achieved in both organs. The plateau coincided with recovered root elongation or an adaptation to Cd. The reduced fresh weight gain of the roots during this time, however, indicated that the synthesis of Cd-induced thiols was at a cost to root development.     

The Decreased Cold-Resistance of Chilling-Sensitive Plants Is Related to Suppressed CO2 Assimilation in Leaves and Sugar Accumulation in Roots

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L., cv. Sibirskii skorospelyi) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L., cv. Konkurent) plants were grown in a soil culture in a greenhouse at an average daily temperature of 20°C and ambient illumination until the development of five and eight true leaves, respectively. During the subsequent three days, some plants were kept in a climatic chamber at 6°C in the light, whereas other plants remained in a greenhouse (control). The cold-resistance of cucumber leaves and roots, as assayed from the electrolyte leakage, was reduced after cold exposure stronger than cold-resistance of tomato organs. The ratio photosynthesis/dark respiration was lower in cucumber than in tomato leaves at all measurement temperatures. The concentrations of sugars (sucrose + glucose + fructose) increased in chilled tomato roots but decreased in cucumber roots. Cold exposure changed the activities of various invertase forms (soluble and insoluble acidic and alkaline invertases). The total invertase activity and the ratio of mono- to disaccharides increased. The lower cucumber cold-resistance is related to the higher sensitivity of its photosynthetic apparatus to chilling and, as a consequence, insufficient root supply with sugars.