Resistance of Cucumber Grafting Rootstock Pumpkin Cultivars to Chilling and Salinity Stresses

Abstract

Grafting using a pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.) rootstock is an effective way to improve cucumber (Cucumis sativus ) resistance to a combination of chilling and salinity stresses. We evaluated the tolerance of 15 pumpkin cultivars to chilling, salinity, and combined stresses at the germination and seedling stages. Selected plant characteristics, including germination rate, germination potential, germination index, plant height, stem thickness, fresh weight, and dry weight, were analyzed. We used the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean for cluster analyses to determine the stress tolerance levels of the pumpkin cultivars. The 15 cultivars were divided into three clusters: tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible to stress treatments. The stress tolerances of all cultivars were variable in the germination and seedling stages, and most cultivars were not tolerant to individual treatments of chilling or salinity stresses at both stages. These results suggest that identifying suitable cultivars for use as rootstock during cucumber grafting should involve the evaluation of stress tolerance during different growth stages. Additionally, cultivars tolerant to chilling stress may not be tolerant to salinity stress; therefore, the choice of pumpkin rootstock should depend on where the grafted plant will be grown. Cultivars tolerant to a combination of chilling and salinity stresses may be useful as rootstock for cucumber grafting. Our findings may serve as reference material for choosing appropriate pumpkin rootstocks for cucumber grafting.