PHOSPHORUS-NUTRITION AND SELECTION AGAINST LEAF CHLOROSIS RELATED TO POWDERY MILDEW RESISTANCE IN CUCUMBER

Powdery mildew-resistant (PMR) cultivars of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown in greenhouses in the Netherlands during winter show chlorosis on the full-grown leaves of the main stem. The symptoms are yellowing and occasional necrosis between the main veins of the leaves, resembling symptoms of P toxicity. Severity of the chlorosis may vary from one winter to another. Variation is also observed in the severity of the symptoms between cultivars and individual plants of a cultivar. High P nutrition results in an increase of the severity of chlorosis and provides a better discriminating environment for the selection of PMR genotypes that are less susceptible for leaf chlorosis.