EVALUATION OF THE UNITED-STATES CUCUMBER GERMPLASM COLLECTION FOR EARLY FLOWERING

A greenhouse study was conducted to evaluate 866 cultigens (718 access ions, 38 breeding lines, and 110 new and obsolete cultivars) of cucumb er (Cucumis sativus L.) for early staminate flower production. Complet e data were obtained for 866 cultigens. The study was conducted on pla nts that were part of a root-knot nematode experiment. Plants were gro wn from seeds in greenhouses in each of 3 seasons with 2 replications per season. There were significant differences for mean time of flower ing over all cultigens among the 3 seasons. Days from planting to firs t staminate flower ranged from 26 to 45, with a mean of 35 for all cul tigens. Root-knot nematode infestation may be related to flowering, si nce early-flowering cultigens had more root galling. The earliest flow ering cultigen was PI 249561 (26 days to flowering); the latest was PI 470254 (45 days to flowering).