Abstract: The research explored the reason for cabbage head splitting based on cytology to provide the theoretic basis for selection of splitting-tolerant materials and development of new varieties, and also laid the foundation for splitting assessment index. The electron microscope scanning was used to observe leaf epidermal structures and tissue characters of 4 cabbage cultivars which differ in splitting-resistance. The epidermal cells were anomo-shaped, the stomata were mostly focused in the low epidermis and stomatal apparatus were ovate or elliptical. The significant differences existed in lower epidermis among materials:in 2 splitting-resistant eultivars, their anticlinal walls had clearly sinuous ridges and the periclinal walls had equal thick ornamentations of cuticles; the defensive cells were rounded cuticles of projected ridges, and epidermal cells were covered with dense powder. In 2 splitting-susceptiblity cultivars, the anticlinal walls sink in and form groove, and the cuticles in periclinal wails were more smooth; the stoma were rounded smooth cuticle. In 2 splitting-tolerant cultivars, mesophyll cells arranged tightly and small gap between cell, and mesophyll cells had loose structure and big space between cell in 2 splitting-susceptible ones. All the data indicated that there were distinctive differences in surface micro-configuration and tissue characters of leaf between splitting-resistant varieties and splitting-susceptible varieties.

Key words: Cabbage, Head-splitting, Leaf epidermis, Cell structure, Scanning electron microscopy

CLC Number: 

• S635.03