Harvest of cucumbers, pickles, and summer squash has started in Michigan. Major concerns for cucurbit growers include Cucumber beetles, Downy mildew, and Phytophthora fruit rot.
Phytophthora
The pathogen Phytophthora capsici causes Phytophthora Crown Rot, Phytophthora blight, and Phytophthora fruit rot.
Vegetable Crop management reports | June 2022
Michigan Vegetable specialists discuss the planting of squash, slicing cucumbers, watermelons, muskmelons, pumpkins, hard squash, and pickling cucumbers across the state.
CucCAP researchers identify QTL for Phytophthora resistance in squash
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.
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention
Topics of interest include Rainfastness of Vegetable Fungicides by Daniel S. Egel, Purdue University, and Phytophthora Rots in Pumpkins and Squash by Katie Goldenhar, OMAFRA.
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.
2021 Great Lakes Expo
Early Career Scientist Spotlight | Gregory Vogel
This pHD candidate’s CucCAP grant research focused on developing squash breeding lines with some Phytophthora blight resistance and mapping genes involved in disease resistance. His other focus was pathogen population genetics. In CucCAP1 the squash team sequenced and characterized isolates of the causal agent, Phytophthora capsici, from around New York and mapped genes in the pathogen associated with mating type, fungicide resistance, and virulence.
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.
