Xenia and Metaxenia on Cucumber Fruit and Seed Characteristics

Abstract

Xenia is the effect of genes from the male parent on the development of fruit or seeds. Xenia may be used to identify the best pollenizer parents to decrease fruit development period and increase yield in mixed cultivar plantings. Metaxenia is the effect of pollen on fruit shape and other fruit characteristics. Metaxenia may be able to be used to identify the best pollenizer parents to decrease fruit development period and increase yield in mixed cultivar plantings. In this type of experiment suitable maternal lines were crossed with different pollinizers to test their pollen effect on fruit and seed quality. There is little information on the effects of this type of crossing on cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seed production and seed quality. When seed production is the goal in cucumber, line 605 had the best seed size, but when an appropriate pollinizer is desired, line 604 produced suitable fruit size. Lines 604 and 605 can be used for production of a new population for more selection in future. These lines have the highest general combining ability (GCA) in fruit characteristics including fruit shape, fruit color, seed cell size, and overall performance. Use of xenia and metaxenia are suitable for determining lines with high GCA without a complete crossing design.