Investigation of the Changes of Growth and Photosynthesis Parameters of Grafted Cucumber on Cucurbita moschata and Lagenaria siceraria During Chilling Stress

Temperature is one of the main environmental factors that affect plant growth. grafting in the squash (Cucurbita moschata) family has been considered due to the increased resistance of the transplanted plant to stresses such as low temperature, high temperature and salinity. Experiment was design to study on the effect of Cucumis sativus cv ‘super daminos’ cucumber grafting on squash rootstocks of Cucurbita moschata (Rs) and ghalyani Lagenaria siceraria (Rg) and its comparison with ungraded cucumber (Rn) and grafted cucumber (Rc). The combined experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) with two treatments of optimum temperature (27±2°C) and low temperature (15±2°C) with four replications in the research greenhouses of Isfahan University of Technology. At the end of experiment the shoot fresh and dry weight, length of bush, number and length of nodes, chlorophyll index, and photosynthetic indices were measured. The results of the present experiment showed that the rate of photosynthesis was significantly reduced at low-temperature stress and improved in the Rs and Rg under stress conditions. Cold improved photosynthesis and the highest amount of photosynthesis was observed in non-stress conditions and in grafted plants on Rs and Rg. Moreover, Transpiration decreased in Rg, Rs, Rc under low temperature treatment. Eventually, Rg and Rc can improve some characteristics of super daminos in low temperature condition compare with Rs and Rn.