Sex Expression of Single and 3-way Cross Cucumber Hybrids with Androecious Pollinators1

Abstract

Hybrids from single and 3-way crosses involving gynoecious, hermaphroditic, monoecious, and androecious parent lines of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) were grown for 2 summers near East Lansing, Michigan. Frequencies of gynoecious hybrid plants varied significantly between years for most crosses. The femaleness (% gynoecious plants) of most single cross hybrids from gynoecious × androecious crosses was greater than ‘Pioneer’ for 1973 but not as clear-cut in 1974. The same differences were observed for 3-way crosses derived from gynoecious-hermaphroditic F1 seed parents crossed with an androecious pollen parent The differences were more marked for 1973 than 1974. However, when the femaleness of 3-way hybrids derived from the same F1 seed parents crossed with either androecious or monoecious pollen parents were compared, the androecious crosses were consistently more female. Overall, hybrids derived from androecious pollen parents were as highly female, or more so, than hybrids derived from monoecious pollen parents including hybrid ‘Pioneer’.