Abstract: Taking 4 different Cucurbita maxima × C. moschata rootstocks for cucumber (Cucumis sativus) as test materials, a solution culture experiment was conducted to study their growth and antioxidative enzyme activities under the stresses of Ca(NO₃)₂  and NaCl, with the salt stress tolerance of the rootstocks evaluated by subordinate function. At 30 mmol·L_-1 of Ca(NO₃)₂ or 45 mmol·L^-1 of NaCl, the growth of the rootstock seedlings was improved; but at 60 and 120 mmol·L^-1 of Ca(NO₃)₂ or 90 and 180 mmol·L^-1 of NaCl, the growth and the antioxidative systems of the seedlings were inhibited, and the salt injury index of ‘Qingzhen No.1’ was the smallest, with the decrement of biomass and SOD, POD and CAT activities and the increment of relative conductance being significantly lower than those of the others. Under the stress of high concentration Ca(NO₃)₂, the SOD, POD and CAT activities of test rootstocks were higher, and the salt injury index and relative conductance were lower, as compared with those under high concentration NaCl, suggesting that the damage of Ca(NO₃)₂  stress to cucumbergrafted rootstock were smaller than that of NaCl stress. Among the 4 rootstocks, ‘Qingzhen No.1’ had the strongest salt stress tolerance, followed by ‘Zuomu Nangua’, ‘Fengyuan Tiejia’, and ‘Chaoba Nangua’.

Key words: salt stress, Cucurbita maxima ×, C. moschata, antioxidative enzyme, subordinate function.