The thermo-sensitivity of two new pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars-Afila (mutant in the gene transforming leaves into mustaches) and Ranen (mutant for early ripening)-as compared to the control cultivar Pleven-4 to either low (4 °C, T4) or high temperature (38 °C, T38) was investigated by means of chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence kinetics. The low temperature treatment decreased the photosynthetic activity, measured via a decline of the Chl fluorescence decrease ratios RFd690 and RFd735, and this was mainly due to a decline of the Chl fluorescence decrease parameter Fd and maximum Chl fluorescence Fm. In the new cv. Ranen the RFd ratios at first decreased and increased again after 24-h exposure to 4 °C, indicating its good acclimation ability to low temperature. The cold-induced changes in the photosynthetic performance of all cultivars were reversed after transferring plants back to 23 °C for 48 h. In the Chl and carotenoid (Car) contents no or little changes occurred during the T4 treatment, except for a slight but clear increase of the ratio Chl a/b and a decrease in the ratio Chl/Car. In contrast to this, the T38 treatment for 72 h decreased the RFd ratios more strongly than the T4 exposure did. In fact, an irreversible injury of the photosynthetic apparatus was caused in the control pea cv. Pleven-4 by a 48-h T38 exposure and for the new cv. Afila after a 72-h T38 exposure. In contrast, the cv. Ranen was less and little sensitive to the T38 exposure. In the heat-sensitive cvs. Pleven-4 and Afila, the decrease in RFd values at T38 was associated with a strong decline of the Chl a+b and total Car contents. The Chl a+b decline could also be followed via an increase of the Chl fluorescence ratio F690/F735. Parallel to this, a strong decline of Chl a/b from ca. 3.0 (range 2.85-3.15) to ca. 1.9 (range 1.85-1.95) occurred indicating a preferential decline of the Chl a-pigment proteins but not of the Chl a/b-pigment protein LHC2. In the relatively heat-tolerant cv. Ranen, however, the ratio Chl a/b declined only partially. After the T4 treatment the stress adaptation index Ap was higher in cv. Ranen than in controls and reached in heat-treated Ranen plants almost the starting value indicating a cold and heat stress hardening of the treated plants. The Chl fluorescence parameters and pigment contents were influenced by T38 and T4 treatments in various ways indicating that the mechanisms of low and high temperature injury of the photosynthetic apparatus are different. The new cv. Ranen exhibited a cross tolerance showing a fairly good acclimation ability to both T4 and T38, hence it is a very suitable plant for outdoor growth and for clarification of the accl, imation mechanisms to unfavourable temperatures., and K. Georgieva, H. K. Lichtenthaler.