U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU): Geneva, NY
 close



    Research

                    Research Projects
                                    Publications
                                    Collaborations
                                    News
                People

                    Staff Listing
                                    Careers


        


                    Diversity Collections
                        Apple
                                    Brassica
                                    Buckwheat
                                    Celery
                                    Grape
                                    Hemp
                                    Onion
                                    Radish
                                    Squash
                                    Tart Cherry
                                    Tomato
                                    Other Seed CropsSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Northeast Area Geneva, New York Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) Research





- Stansell, Zachary
- Povilus, Rebecca
- Plant Genetic Resources, Genomics and Genetic Improvement (301)

Research Project: **Location:
                            Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU)** Project Number: 8060-21000-031-006-S
                        
                        Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement Start Date: Sep 1, 2022
                        
                        End Date: Aug 31, 2024 **Objective:**
                        
                        Cooperator will screen diverse NPGS cucurbit accessions for biotic pathogen resistances and key horticultural quality traits. This project will support  development of improved cultivars to increase food accessibility in the US for historically underserved groups, create resistant rootstocks, and as a source of novel resistances that can be transferred to other mainstream cucurbits through genetic engineering approaches. **Approach:**
                        
                        During the 2023 growing season, all 177 available accessions of L. siceraria will be grown out by the cooperator with assistance from the ARS PI to observe resistance to powdery mildew (PM) and downy mildew (DM).  Accession will be grown under standard cucurbit production conditions. Two replications will be grown at the Freeville research farm location in a randomized block design. 

Control plots of susceptible cultivars and PM resistant winter squash, 'Bugle’, and DM resistant cucumber, ‘DMR401’, will be used to distinguish resistant vs susceptible accessions.  AUDPC (area under the disease progress curve) will be calculated on the plot level for each accession relative to controls.  PM will be scored as percent affected area on leaf surfaces and petioles and cucurbit DM with as percent affected canopy. 
The cooperator will contribute data for inclusion within GRIN-Global.

In addition, the cooperator will work with the curator in determining if there are unavailable accessions that can be grown in the disease trials and self-pollinated to increase available seeds back to the collection.  The cooperator and the Curator will work on the Crop Vulnerability Statement for “gourds” under the Cucurbit Crop Germplasm Committee. 
The cooperator proposes to write a Crop Vulnerability statement working with stakeholders in this area.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov