Abstract

Abstract Seedling leaf segments of 2 Cucumis melo L. cultivars were heated for 15 min at 50°C to observe the influence of duration of temperature conditioning on the acclimation and deacclimation of membrane thermostability. The percentage of injury was measured by the increase in solution conductivity due to electrolyte leakage from leaf segments. Leaves from seedlings held for 5 days at 15° had a higher percentage of injury following heat stress then those held 5 days at 35°. Acclimation for 2 to 4 hr at 35° was enough to reduce the percentage of injury to leaves from 15°-grown plants. Deacclimation for 8 hr at 15° increased the percentage of injury to leaves from plants grown at 35°. Heat injury regressed as a function of mean relative leaf-blade growth rate with temperature and leaf age with temperature yielded predictive regression equations suggesting leaf age is better as a predictor of membrane thermostability than is leaf growth rate.

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