The role of abscisic acid in regulating cucumber fruit development and ripening and its transcriptional regulation

► ABA variation was in accordance with cucumber fruit development and ripening. ► ABA application at the turning stage promotes cucumber fruit ripening. ► ABA application at immature green stage had inconspicuous effects. ► ABA content is under precise transcriptional regulation. ► ABA may play important roles in regulating cucumber fruit ripening.