Scientists at the University of Florida led by Geoffrey Meru characterized resistance to Phytophthora crown rot in PI 181761 and identified a major QTL on chromsome 13. Several SNP markers were designed to target this QTL for marker-assisted selection.
Meru Lab @ UFL
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’s Meru leading multi-institution Calbaza project | VGNews
Dr. Meru’s team will collaborate with the universities of Puerto Rico and Georgia on the grant named “Specialty Pumpkin: Laying the Groundwork for an Emerging Crop and Lucrative Products.”
Technology to Grow Better Cucurbits | VSCNews
With a wide variety of options to choose from, researchers are working with technology in order to grow better cucurbits. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS), marker assisted selection and genomic selection have been used to improve specialty crops like squash, pumpkins and watermelons.
TREC Helps Growers, Trains Future Plant Breeders – VSC NEWS
Meru’s breeding program aims to develop high-yielding vegetable cultivars that are resistant to diseases. For squash, one of the main issues for growers is a pathogen called Phytophthora capsici that causes crown, root and fruit rot.
Breeding Squash for Disease Resistance
Cucurbita spp. Powdery Mildew Phytophthora Blight Virus Diseases Powdery Mildew Powdery mildew is a disease that affects all cucurbits and is important in squash. Resistance was introduced from the wild species, Cucurbita marintezii in C. moschata and C. pepo. The resistance gene, Pm-0, is a single incompletely dominant gene that is commonly deployed in the […]
