Scientists have constructed a comprehensive ‘super-pangenome’ for watermelon and its wild relatives, uncovering beneficial genes lost during domestication that could improve disease resistance and fruit quality of this vital fruit crop.
CucCAP Project Updates
Contributions to the CucCAP project by the Bioinformatics Team, Cucurbit Crop Breeding Teams, and the Integrated Disease Management Team.
Plant Health 2023 Awards
Two members of the CucCAP Integrated Crop and Disease Management Team were selected to receive APS awards in honor of their significant contributions to the science of plant pathology at Plant Health 2023.
Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative report #46
CucCAP scientists Jonathan Schultheis and Todd Wehner contributed an article about pickling cucumber variety trials to this report. CucCAP scientists Amnon Levi, Linda Wessel Beaver and Todd Wehner are members of the CGC Coordinating Committee. They collaborated with the Cucurbit research community to publish this report.
CucCAP scientists perform genome-wide association study to identify resistances to Pseudomonas leaf spot in watermelon
Citrullus amarus was screened for resistance to Pseudomonas leaf spot. Genetic markers associated with resistance to P. syringae and other diseases were identified. The results will facilitate breeding for resistance to PLS in watermelon.
2023 Watermelon trial for Fusarium resistance
Delaying transplanting until the soil has warmed to about 81 degrees at a 4-inch depth can reduce the number of plants with Fusarium wilt.
Eleanor and Fascination are partially resistant cultivars that have been shown to perform better when Fusarium wilt is present. But grafting is more effective…and more expensive
SC Grower Exchange Podcast | Cucurbit Downy Mildew
The June 30 episode of The SC Grower Exchange podcast features CucCAP plant pathologist Dr. Anthony Keinath as he discusses downy mildew in cucurbits and other vegetables.
Cucumber downy mildew arrives in South Carolina
This article for gardeners is published in The Post and Courier, a Charleston S.C. newspaper. The article discusses Cucurbit downy mildew on several varieties of cucumber, other cucurbits, and other crops.
Michigan cucurbit report – June 28, 2023
Clade 2 downy mildew spores were trapped in Michigan last week. Phytophthora infested surface waters may be the only source for irrigation in some areas.