The U.S. National Plant Germplasm System maintains a melon germplasm collection from worldwide melon production areas and regions where primitive melons exist. The CucCAP team genetically characterized the collection to increase understanding of genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and population structure of the collection, and to improve melon taxonomic classifications. A core collection was developed from the analysis to provide a public resource for future research and genomics-assisted breeding. Thirty-five morphological characters were evaluated in the core collection to identify genomic regions potentially related to fruit quality and other horticultural traits important in melon improvement.
Reddy Lab @ WVSU
Watermelon Team | 2021 Progress Report
The watermelon team is led by Amnon Levi. Team objectives are to develop genomic, bioinformatic, mapping approaches and tools for cucurbits, map and develop markers for disease resistance, and introgress, pyramid/stack resistances into advanced breeding lines.
CucCAP scientists study effect of genome doubling on gene expression in tetraploid watermelon
Umesh Reddy and team at WVSU and Amnon Levi and team at USDA, ARS used advance genome sequencing technology to study the effect of genome doubling on gene expression in tetraploid watermelon versus their counterpart diploid watermelon parental plants.
Meet the CucCAP Watermelon Team
The CucCAP Watermelon team is led by USDA-ARS Research Geneticist Amnon Levi. Co-investigators include Sandra Branham, Cecelia McGregor, Kai-Shu Ling, Shaker Kousik, Umesh Reddy, and Pat Wechter.
2020 ASHS Annual Virtual Conference
Presentations from CucCAP researchers address cucumber breeding, melon pathogens, and watermelon production. Phenotypic Analysis of the U.S. Cucumber PI Core Collection for Fruit Morphological Diversity Ying-Chen Lin, Yiqun Weng, University of Wisconsin and Rebecca Grumet, Michigan State University Continue Reading QTL-Seq of Young Fruit Resistance to Phytophthora Capsici in Cucumber Ying-Chen Lin and Rebecca Grumet, […]
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.
CucCAP #1 Melon Publications
Presentations by CucCAP Scientists at PAG XXVIII
CucCAP participants at PAG XXVIII include cucurbit breeders and genomic scientists. The cucurbit session organizers are Amnon Levi and Patrick Wechter. Presenters include Zhangjun Fei, Rebecca Grumet, Ben N. Mansfeld, Yiqun Weng, Sandra E. Branham, Shaker Kousik, Amnon Levi, and Patrick Wechter, and Umesh Reddy.
