Abstract: In the cucumber seedlings pretreated with ABA under light and dark or additional photosynthetic inhibitor (DCMU) before chilling, the effect and the regulative role of ABA on the chilling resistance of cucumber seedlings were investigated. After the excised cotyledonary discs were floated on 10-6 mol/l ABA solution for 24 h and the seedlings were sprayed by 10-4 mol/1 ABA in light, it has been found that ABA has an effect of the protection against low temperature injury in cucumber seedlings. The results showed that the leakage of electrolytes in cucumber cotyledory discs was decreased. The content of glutathione and the accumulation of MDA content in cotyledon of cucumber seedlings were decreased, and decline of the photosynthesis of the leaves or the quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence were slowed, thus the rate of survival in cucumber seedlings was raised. The effect of these regulation was able to be limited by dark or DCMU.

Key words: Chilling stress, Cucumber seedlings, Abscisic acid