TESTING THE EFFECT OF THE DETERMINATE SHOOT GROWTH ALLELE ON CUCUMBERROOT-GROWTH

The determinate allele (de) of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) causes sh orter vine length and fewer and shorter internodes and lateral branche s than the indeterminate allele (De). Four sets of cucumber inbreds ca rrying determinate or indeterminate alleles were compared with respect to root growth rate in the field and greenhouse using an herbicide ba nding method. Although the lines exhibited the expected differences in shoot growth, differences in root growth were not correlated with the differences in shoot growth. These results indicate that root growth was independent of the determinate shoot growth allele.