Abstract
A large number of seedlings of various cucumber varieties have been tested for bitterness. In the American variety Improved Long Green one plant was encountered that was non-bitter. This form of non-bitterness is highly valuable for breeding purposes, because of the possibility to select for non-bitterness at the seedling stage. Non-bitter varieties, as occur in other Cucurbitaceae, were not encountered in the many verieties investigated. Bitterness of cucumber and melon plants seems to be controlled by one dominant gene.
Plants can be judged for non-bitterness simply by tasting them, provided that the tasters have previously been tested for sufficient discriminatory power.
Non-bitterness of the young seedlings can also be shown by a chemical reaction. To this end a simple method has been developed.
Samenvatting
Een groot aantal zaailingen van verschillende komkommerrassen werd getoetst op bittervrijheid. In het Amerikaanse ras Improved Long Green werd één plant aangetroffen, die geen bitterstof bevatte. Deze vorm van bitterstofvrijheid is zeer waardevol voor veredelingswerk omdat het hierdoor mogelijk is reeds op bitterstofvrijheid te selecteren in het zaailingstadium. Bitterstofvrije rassen, zoals die bij andere Cucurbitaceae wel voorkomen, werden niet in het onderzochte sortiment aangetroffen.
Bitterheid van komkommer- en meloenplanten lijkt bepaald te worden door één dominante factor. De toetsing op bitterstofvrijheid kan organoleptisch eenvoudig worden uitgevoerd, mits vooraf de proevers op hun smaakvermogen zijn getoetst.
De bitterstofvrijheid van jonge plantjes kan ook chemisch worden aangetoond. Hiertoe werd een eenvoudige methode uitgewerkt.
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Andeweg, J.M., De Bruyn, J.W. Breeding of non-bitter cucumbers. Euphytica 8, 13–20 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00022084
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00022084