Mark your calendars for Plant Health 2024, where we delve into the future of plant health with the theme, Harnessing the Technology Revolution for a More Sustainable World.
Kousik Lab @ USDA-ARS
Shaker Kousik is a project leader at the USDA-ARS Vegetable Lab in Charleston, S.C. Mihir Mandal and Jennifer Ikerd are members of the Kousik Lab.
Integrated Disease Management Team | 2024 Progress Report
View the Crop and Disease Management Team update in pages 65 – 98 of the pdf version of this report.
Labs Working on the CucCAP Project:
Lina Quesada-Ocampo (NC State)
Mary Hausbeck (MSU)
Chris Smart (Cornell)
Anthony Keinath (Clemson)
Shaker Kousik (USDA-ARS)
Jonathan Schultheis (NC State)
Daniel Tregeagle (NC State)
Melon Team | 2024 Progress Report
View the Squash Team update in pages 37 – 40 of the pdf version of this report.
Melon Team members:
Jim McCreight (USDA, ARS)
Shaker Kousik (USDA, ARS)
Pat Wechter (USDA, ARS)
Bill Wintermantel (USDA, ARS)
Watermelon Team | 2024 Progress Report
View the 2024 Watermelon Report including all tables and figures in pages 20 – 36 of the pdf version of this report.
Watermelon Team members:
Amnon Levi (USDA, ARS)
Sandra Branham (Clemson University)
Shaker Kousik (USDA, ARS)
Kai-Shu Ling (USDA, ARS)
Cecilia McGregor (University of Georgia)
Umesh Reddy (West Virginia St University)
Pat Wechter (Clemson University)
CucCAP scientists develop a super-pangenome for watermelon
A super-pangenome was constructed to represent the entire watermelon gene repertoire, uncovering several disease resistance genes that are present in wild watermelons while completely lost in watermelon cultivars.
USDA grant includes strategies for pest control
Clemson University scientists are studying watermelon production methods to develop strategies to improve productivity and profitability of organic vegetables. Funding for the project is provided by a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to address challenges such as crop nutrition management and controlling diseases and weeds in organic vegetable production.
CucCAP watermelon team | super-pangenome for watermelon
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.
ISHS International Symposium on Cucurbits 2023
CucCAP scientists Zhangjun Fei, Shaker Kousik, Cecilia McGregor, Umesh K. Reddy, and Yiqun Weng are on the Scientific committee of the VII International Symposium on Cucurbits. Their specialties include watermelon, cucumber, and genomics.
