Translocation of sucrose by squash plants

Abstract

Sucrose-(14)C was fed to the leaf blades of squash plants (Cucurbita pepo L. var. melopepo torticallis Bailey) for 30 or 60 minutes. Petioles of treated plants were cut into sections and extracted. The majority of the (14)C within the petiole was in sucrose rather than stachyose, the sugar that is transported by the squash plants when (14)CO(2) is supplied. This indicates that the phloem loading system of squash plants is not the system that specifies which sugar is transported.