2004 Volume 3 Issue 2 Pages 133-136
Flowering period, ethylene production of male flowers and shelf life of fruit were comparatively investigated in four melon cultivars ‘King Nine’, ‘King Melty’, ‘O-3’ and ‘Harukei-3’. ‘King Nine’ and ‘O-3’ have long shelf life characteristics regulated by an ethylene low sensitivity gene, but ‘King Melty’ and ‘Harukei-3’ do not share these characteristics. The flowering periods of ‘King Nine’ and ‘O-3’ were twice as long as ‘ King Melty ’ and ‘Harukei-3’. The amount of ethylene emitted from male flowers of ‘King Nine’ and ‘O-3’ was twice as much as that from those of ‘King Melty’ and ‘Harukei-3’. It is clear that the ethylene low sensitivity gene extended the flowering period of male flowers and incleased the amount of ethylene emitted from those in the subsequent melons.
