Ethylene evolution during germination of different sex phenotypes of cucumber

Ethylene production by germinating seeds of cucumber during the first 4 days after imbibition was determined for different sex phenotypes. Ethylene emanation from germinating seeds of gynoecious plants was much higher than from those of the more male phenotypes of androecious, monoecious and hermaphrodite. Ethylene addition and removal (by hypobaric ventilation) during germination caused no apparent changes in subsequent sex expression of the plants. Ethylene production by single F₂ seeds was not closely associated with subsequent sex expression of the plants derived from a cross between gynoecious and androecious cucumbers. These studies suggested that ethylene production during germination was not always closely related to subsequent sex expression.