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Development and Growth Regulation

Developmental Stages of Cucumber Seedlings

Kinetics of Chlorophyll Accumulation and Other Growth Parameters

Botany Department, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel, Department of Chemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602

The changes in morphology during dark germination and subsequent growth of cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings in the light go through three different phases described as latent, active, and steady-state. This pattern is consistently observed for several related developmental processes. The latent period lasts about 2 days following water imbibition after which the following capabilities appear in concert: (a) root and stem elongation, (b) pigment synthesis including protochlorophyll, chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phytochrome, (c) synthesis of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, and (d) enhancement of greening by excision. Following the active phase, which lasts for another 2 to 3 days, these processes slow to a steady-state. Inhibition of chlorphyll accumulation by SO₂ was only observed for seedlings in the steady-state phase.