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.
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.
CucCAP Watermelon Team | Research Publications
The CucCAP watermelon team published 13 journal articles in 2022, 6 journal articles in 2021, and 15 journal articles in 2020.
Emerging Viruses in Cucurbits Working Group
The Emerging Viruses in Cucurbits Working Group (EVCWG) is charged with improving communication and virus knowledge across the cucurbit industry as well as developing strategies to successfully identify and mitigate virus threats to cucurbit production in the United States.
Early Career Scientist Spotlight | Bidisha Chanda
Before her current position as a Genetic Purity Lab Manager in the Quality Assurance Department at Sakata Seed America, Inc., in Salinas California, Bidisha Chanda worked for the USDA and conducted research for the CucCAP watermelon team at the US Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina.
CucCAP scientists map QTL for resistance to powdery mildew in melon
Powdery mildew is one of the most important diseases of melon. CucCAP researchers used a densely genotyped melon population to identify QTL associated with resistance in multiple plant tissues.
The 99th Southern Division-APS Annual Meeting
CucCAP researchers develop watermelon breeding lines with broad resistance to Phytophthora capsici
CucCAP researchers developed 5 Phytophthora fruit rot resistant watermelon germplasm lines with high levels of resistance against a broad range of diverse P. capsici isolates collected from across the United States.
Integrated Disease Management Team | 2021 Progress Report
CucCAP researchers and stakeholders met on October 27, 28 & 29, 2022 to present and discuss the grant’s accomplishments, ongoing research, plans and expectations. Lina Quesada-Ocampo (NC State University), Mary Hausbeck (Michigan State University), Chris Smart (Cornell University), Anthony Keinath (Clemson University), Shaker Kousik (USDA-ARS), Jonathan Schultheis (NC State University), Daniel Tregeagle (NC State University), and Mary Lorscheider (NC State University Extension communicator) reported on the Integrated Disease Management Team’s progress.
