Germplasm collections maintained by the US National Plant Germplasm System and those of other countries are critical sources of diversity utilized by breeders for crop improvement. This review summarizes status of collections and vulnerabilities for cucurbit crops.
Mazourek Lab @ Cornell CALS
Squash 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. Michael Mazourek (Cornell Univ), Mary Hausbeck (Michigan St Univ), Shaker Kousik (USDA-ARS, Charleston), Geoffrey Meru (Univ Florida), Angela Linares Ramirez (Univ Puerto Rico), and Chris Smart (Cornell Univ.) reported on the Squash Team’s progress.
Meet the CucCAP Squash Team
CucCAP scientists identify QTL for Phytophthora resistance in squash
CucCAP scientists from the Cornell University research groups of Michael Mazourek and Christine Smart along with Michael Gore’s lab combined linkage mapping and bulked segregant methods for molecular mapping and QTL identification.
Winter Squash: background, diversity and breeding
Cornell squash breeder and CucCAP Squash Team leader, Michael Mazarouek discusses the history of breeding winter squash.
CucCAP scientists test new squash breeding lines for performance and resistance to Phytophthora crown and root rot
Researchers at Cornell University developed squash breeding lines with increased resistance to Phytophthora crown and root rot.
CucCAP researchers publish articles focusing on Phytophthora
Cornell University scientists Dr. Christine Smart, a plant pathologist and Dr. Michael Mazourek, a vegetable breeder discuss newly developed squash breeding lines and the soilborne oomycete Phytophthora capsici.
Genomics and Bioinformatics Team | 2020 CucCAP Progress Report
Cucurbit Genomic Team members include Zhangjun Fei (Boyce Thompson Institute), Umesh Reddy (West Virginia St. Univ.), Amnon Levi (USDA, ARS), Yiqun Weng (USDA, ARS), Michael Mazourek (Cornell University), Pat Wechter (USDA, ARS), and Rebecca Grumet (Michigan State University). In closely working with Cornell Genomic Diversity Facilty, the team has set up the genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) platform for the cucurbit species and have established a GBS data analysis pipeline based on TASSEL-GBS.
