Method for improving the female flower rate of strong male line cucumber

Abstract

The application discloses an inducement method for improving the female flower rate of strong male line cucumber, belongs to the technical field of cucumber cultivation, and comprises the following steps: deep ploughing, ridge forming and soil surface leveling are performed on planting land, and the cucumber is sowed or seedling-raised in a direct sowing mode; calcium chloride solution is sprayed on the cucumber seedlings at the 2-leaf 1-heart stage, and the spraying is performed for 3 times; the spraying interval is 6-7 days; and the spraying position is the cucumber seedling leaves and growth points. Compared with the traditional ethephon inducement method, spraying of the CaCl2 solution can significantly improve the stress resistance of the cucumber plants, does not cause any harm to the cucumber plants, and can improve the female flower rate of the cucumber when the leaf surface spraying concentration of the CaCl2 solution is 10-40 mmol / L, has a significant effect, and the inducement effect is the most significant when the leaf surface spraying concentration of the CaCl2 solution is 10 mmol / L. The application provides an effective method and path for improving the female flower rate of strong male line cucumber and improving the cucumber yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of cucumber cultivation technology, and in particular relates to a method for inducing female flowers to increase the rate of female flowers in cucumbers with strong male lines. Background Technology

[0002] Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) belongs to the genus Cucumis in the family Cucurbitaceae and is a model plant for studying plant sex differentiation. Cucumber sex differentiation is controlled by multiple factors, including genetic background, environmental factors, and hormone levels. Studies have found that local varieties from Yunnan Province exhibit strong growth vigor and resistance, but are mostly strongly male lines with very few female flowers, resulting in extremely low cucumber yields. This severely limits seed production, germplasm resource protection and utilization, preventing the full realization of Yunnan's unique germplasm resource advantages.

[0003] From a physiological perspective of cucumber development, the sex-control theory of ethylene was proposed. Later, a new hypothesis was put forward: a "hormone and gene-co-regulated apoptosis of floral organs" may exist during cucumber sex differentiation. This hypothesis, combining the regulatory mechanisms of endogenous hormones and sex-determining genes, explains the process of cucumber flower shape changes from a new perspective. Among these, auxin (IAA), naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), zeatin (ZT), abscisic acid (ABA), polyamines, and brassinolide (BR) have a feminizing effect on cucumbers. Exogenous auxin IAA increases femaleness in cucumbers by inducing sex-controlling genes and promoting ethylene synthesis. However, in cucumber cultivation, hormones such as IAA, NAA, ZT, ABA, polyamines, and BR have a relatively small promoting effect on female flowers. Excessive application of hormones has adverse effects on plant growth, and people have a strong aversion to consuming vegetables treated with hormones.

[0004] It is generally believed that ethylene plays a specific and crucial role in cucumber sex differentiation. Exogenous application of ethephon (ethylene donor) can promote the transformation of cucumber male flowers into female flowers and increase the female flower rate. Ethephon spraying has a good effect, but its application can accelerate cucumber plant senescence, causing shorter internodes, limited plant height, and seriously affecting cucumber yield.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need in this field for a non-hormone-induced method to increase the female flower rate of cucumbers with strong male lines. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Calcium ions can enhance plant stress resistance and growth vigor. Therefore, exogenous application of calcium ions has a significant promoting effect on improving the stress resistance of cucumber plants and the female flower rate of strong female cucumbers. The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for inducing a higher female flower rate in strong male cucumbers, thereby solving the problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] This invention provides a method for inducing female flower rate in cucumbers with strong male lines by spraying calcium chloride solution during the cucumber's growth period.

[0008] The specific operation method is as follows: Deeply cultivate, ridge, and level the soil surface before planting cucumbers. When the cucumber seedlings have 2 leaves and 1 heart, start spraying calcium chloride solution and spray a total of 3 times. The spraying interval is 6-7 days. The spraying location is the leaves and growing point of the cucumber seedlings.

[0009] Based on the growth characteristics of cucumbers, the sex of cucumbers is determined during the seedling stage. Generally, when the cucumber seedling has one leaf and one bud, flower buds differentiate to the 8th-9th node, but the sex of the flower is not yet determined; when it has two leaves and one bud, flower buds differentiate to the 11th-13th node; when it has three leaves and one bud, flower buds differentiate to the 21st-23rd node, and the sex of the 3rd-5th node is determined; when it has four leaves and one bud, flower buds differentiate to the 30th node or higher. Therefore, to change the sex of cucumbers by changing the node position, treatment must be carried out during the seedling stage. In addition, it takes 6-7 days for each new leaf to grow during the cucumber seedling stage, so treatment should be carried out every 6-7 days, for a total of 3 treatments. In cucumber production, cucumber plants are generally allowed to grow to 30-35 nodes. Plants that are too tall will cause excessive nutrient transport distance, affecting the nutrient supply to the cucumber fruit and causing deformed fruits.

[0010] Furthermore, the concentration of the calcium chloride solution is 2.5-40 mmol / L.

[0011] When the Ca in cucumber cytoplasm 2+ When increased, it can activate Ca 2+ - Calmodulin system promotes ethylene production, thereby inducing the conversion of cucumber male flowers to female flowers and increasing the female flower rate. When exogenous Ca... 2+ At higher concentrations, calcium chloride inhibits ethylene production, thus preventing ethylene from accelerating cucumber plant aging, shortening internodes, limiting plant height, and affecting cucumber yield. Therefore, this invention limits the concentration of calcium chloride to 2.5-40 mmol / L.

[0012] Furthermore, the concentration of the calcium chloride solution is 10-40 mmol / L, and more preferably, the concentration of the calcium chloride solution is 10 mmol / L.

[0013] Furthermore, the deep plowing depth is 30cm, the ridge height is 20-30cm, the ridge width is 110cm, and the spacing is 40cm; the cucumber planting row spacing is 60±5cm, and the plant spacing is 30±3cm, that is, every two rows form one ridge.

[0014] Furthermore, two parallel steel wire ropes with a spacing of 60±5cm are installed above the cucumber planting row. The height of the steel wire ropes above the soil surface is 2m. The steel wire ropes can be used to suspend the seedling hooks and ropes.

[0015] Furthermore, after sowing or transplanting cucumbers, drip irrigation tape and mulch film need to be laid.

[0016] Furthermore, the drip irrigation tape has a 10cm spacing between the drip holes, and the mulch is a black / silver-black double-sided mulch for water and heat retention. When covering, the black side of the mulch faces down and the silver-black side faces up to prevent weed growth.

[0017] Furthermore, cucumbers can be grown via direct seeding or seedling cultivation, with both the seed trays and seeds used for seedling cultivation requiring sterilization. During the cucumber vine-spreading stage, vine clips are used to secure the vines to the hanging ropes. As the plants grow, the clips are moved upwards or additional clips are added to further stabilize the plants. When the plants exceed the height of the hanging net, the clips are lowered, and the roots are coiled up and placed on the ground. In the later stages of growth, topping is performed as needed based on production conditions. Other routine management follows the standard practices for fruit and vegetable cultivation, including fertilization, pest and disease control, and harvesting.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0019] This invention provides a method for inducing female flowers in cucumbers with strong male lines. Compared with the existing method of spraying ethephon, the reagent calcium chloride dihydrate used in this invention is easier to obtain and cheaper than hormones. It does not harm cucumber plants after application, can improve the stress resistance of cucumber plants, and is convenient to use and more rationally designed.

[0020] Compared with traditional ethephon-induced methods, this invention significantly improves the stress resistance of cucumber plants by spraying CaCl2 solution without causing any harm to the plants. Foliar spraying of CaCl2 solution at concentrations of 10-40 mmol / L all increase the female flower rate of cucumbers, showing a significant effect. The induction effect is most significant when foliar spraying of CaCl2 at a concentration of 10 mmol / L. This invention provides an effective method and approach to improve the female flower rate of strong male cucumber varieties and increase cucumber yield.

[0021] This invention provides a favorable basis for improving the female flower rate of other cucurbitaceous crops such as melon, watermelon, bitter melon, loofah, and bottle gourd. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a statistical diagram illustrating the induction of female flowers in strongly male cucumbers using different concentrations of CaCl2 in Example 1 of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the induction of female flowers in a strongly male cucumber variety in Example 1 of the present invention, using the control group (CK) and the 10 mmol / L CaCl2 treatment group.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how the 40 mmol / L CaCl2 treatment group induced two female flowers to be produced at the same node in the male-dominant cucumber line in Example 1 of this invention.

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of different concentrations of ethephon on the induction of female flowers in strongly male cucumbers in Comparative Example 1 of this invention. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. This detailed description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention, but rather as a more detailed description of certain aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] It should be understood that the terminology used in this invention is merely for describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, with respect to numerical ranges in this invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the range is also specifically disclosed. Every smaller range between any stated value or intermediate value within a stated range, and any other stated value or intermediate value within said range, is also included in this invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range.

[0029] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. While only preferred methods and materials have been described herein, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the implementation or testing of this invention. All references to this specification are incorporated by way of citation to disclose and describe methods and / or materials associated with those references. In the event of any conflict with any incorporated reference, the content of this specification shall prevail.

[0030] Various modifications and variations can be made to the specific embodiments described in this specification without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments derived from this specification will also be obvious to those skilled in the art. This application specification and embodiments are merely exemplary.

[0031] The terms “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc., used in this article are all open-ended terms, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0032] The test crop used in this embodiment of the invention is cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) of the Cucurbitaceae family, named "LZ2", which was collected and preserved from Lancang County, Yunnan Province. It exhibits vigorous growth and is a strong male line material. This embodiment of the invention was conducted in a greenhouse at the Yunnan Agricultural University experimental base from March to July 2023.

[0033] Example 1

[0034] S1. Pre-sowing land preparation: Deep plow the land to be planted to 30 cm, create 20-30 cm ridges, and level the ridge surface; for double-row planting, the ridge surface width is 110 cm and the ridge spacing is 40 cm.

[0035] S2. In the greenhouse, install two parallel steel wire ropes with a spacing of 60±5cm directly above each soil level along the direction of cucumber planting rows, at a height of approximately 2±0.2 m above the soil surface;

[0036] S3. Sow by direct sowing after germination. Disinfect cucumber seeds: Soak cucumber seeds in 50-55℃ warm water for 10-15 minutes, dry them and germinate them. When the white sprouts are 0.5±0.1cm, plant them in double rows with a row spacing of 60±5cm and a plant spacing of 30±3cm.

[0037] S4. After transplanting, lay drip irrigation tape with drip holes spaced 10 cm apart, and cover with black / silver-black double-sided mulch to retain water and heat. The black side of the mulch should face down and the silver-black side should face up to prevent weed growth.

[0038] S5. Normal management of cucumber seedlings and prevention and control of seedling diseases and pests; when the cucumber seedlings have 2 leaves and 1 heart, the first induction agent treatment should be carried out. Spray the leaves and growing points of the cucumber seedlings with a sprayer, and spray until the water droplets do not drip from the leaves. Spray a total of 3 times, with an interval of 6-7 days between spray treatments. The induction agent is CaCl2 solution, and 7 concentrations are set: 0 mmol / L, 2.5 mmol / L, 5.0 mmol / L, 10 mmol / L, 20 mmol / L, 30 mmol / L, and 40 mmol / L. The 0 mmol / L is the control group (CK), which is sprayed with an equal amount of water. 9 seedlings are treated with each concentration, for a total of 63 seedlings.

[0039] S6. When the cucumber plants reach a height of 30-40cm and begin vine extension, use vine clips to support the vines. Adopt a single-stem pruning method, retaining only the main branch. Secure the plant to the vine clips, moving them upwards as the plant grows, or add more clips to stabilize the plant (2-3 clips can be placed as the plant grows taller and more lateral branches increase). When the plant height exceeds the height of the hanging net, lower the clips and coil the lower part of the plant on the ground. In the later stages of growth, pinch off the growing tips of the cucumber plants as needed. Other daily management follows the standard cucumber growth management procedures, including pruning, fertilization, pest and disease control, and harvesting.

[0040] The number of female flowers in the first 30 nodes of the main stem of cucumber plants was counted, and the average number of female flowers and the average female flower rate were calculated. Excel 2010 and SPSS 25.0 were used for data statistics, graphing, and significance analysis; female flower rate = number of female flowers / total number of nodes counted × 100%.

[0041] Table 1 shows the statistical results of female flower production in strongly male cucumber lines induced by different concentrations of CaCl2. A statistical diagram is shown below. Figure 1 .

[0042] Table 1

[0043] From Table 1 and Figure 1 It can be seen that after spraying cucumber seedlings with different concentrations of CaCl2 inducer solution, the number of female flowers in the strong male cucumber line increased to varying degrees with the increase of CaCl2 concentration. The female flower rate showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. The 2.5 mmol / L and 5 mmol / L treatments were slightly higher than the control group (CK), but there was no significant difference. The 10 mmol / L, 20 mmol / L, 30 mmol / L and 40 mmol / L treatment groups were not significantly different from each other, but were significantly higher than the control group (CK), 2.5 mmol / L and 5 mmol / L treatment groups. The 10 mmol / L treatment group had the best effect.

[0044] Figure 2 This diagram illustrates the induction of female flowers in strongly male cucumber varieties in the control group (CK) and the 10 mmol / L treatment group. The arrows indicate the nodes where the female flowers are located. Figure 2 It can be seen that compared with spraying with water, when the spraying concentration is 10 mmol / L, the number of female flowers increases significantly, and one female flower appears at each node, which is beneficial to the growth of cucumber fruit. However, when treated with 40 mmol / L CaCl2, some cucumber plants were induced to produce two female flowers at the same node simultaneously. Figure 3The diagram illustrates how the 40 mmol / L CaCl2 treatment group induced two female flowers to be produced at the same node in a strong male cucumber. However, in actual production, multiple female flowers at one node can affect the development of cucumber fruits. Therefore, spraying a 10 mmol / L CaCl2 solution three times (with an interval of 6-7 days) during the two-leaf-one-heart stage of cucumber seedlings is the optimal method for inducing female flowers to be produced in strong male cucumbers according to this invention.

[0045] Comparative Example 1

[0046] S1-S4 and S6 are the same as in Example 1. In S5, the CaCl2 solution is replaced with ethephon solution of different concentrations. The specific spraying method is as follows:

[0047] S5. Normal management of cucumber seedlings and prevention and control of seedling diseases and pests; when the cucumber seedlings have 2 leaves and 1 heart, the first induction agent treatment is carried out. Spray the leaves and growing points of the cucumber seedlings with a sprayer, and spray until the water droplets do not drip from the leaves. Spray a total of 3 times, with an interval of 6-7 days between spray treatments. The induction agent is ethephon solution, with 3 concentrations: 0 mmol / L, 150 mmol / L and 250 mmol / L. The 0 mmol / L is the control group (CK). Spray with an equal amount of water. 9 seedlings are treated with each concentration, for a total of 27 seedlings.

[0048] Induction results are shown Figure 4 Schematic diagram illustrating the effects of different concentrations of ethephon on inducing female flowers in strongly male cucumber lines. Figure 4 It can be seen that exogenous application of ethephon (ethylene donor) can promote the transformation of cucumber male flowers into female flowers and increase the female flower rate. However, the application of ethephon will accelerate the aging of cucumber plants, causing the internodes of cucumber plants to shorten and the plant height to be limited, which will seriously affect the yield of cucumbers.

[0049] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for inducing female flower rate in cucumbers with strong male lines, characterized in that, Deeply till, ridge, and level the soil surface before planting cucumbers. When the cucumber seedlings have two leaves and one heart, spray with calcium chloride solution for a total of three times, with an interval of 6-7 days between spraying treatments. Spray the leaves and growing points of the cucumber seedlings. The concentration of the calcium chloride solution is 10-40 mmol / L.

2. The method for inducing female flower rate in cucumber with strong male lines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The concentration of the calcium chloride solution is 10 mmol / L.

3. The method for inducing female flower rate in cucumber with strong male lines according to claim 2, characterized in that, The width of the soil surface is 110cm and the spacing is 40cm.

4. The method for inducing female flower rate in cucumber with strong male lines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The row spacing for cucumber planting is 60±5cm, and the plant spacing is 30±3cm.

5. The method for inducing female flower rate in cucumber with strong male lines according to claim 1, characterized in that, Cucumbers can be grown through live streaming or seedling cultivation.

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