Researchers find 22 pumpkin varieties that resist a major fungal disease
Wang Y, Wang X, Cheng Y, Zhang L, Xu W
Crop Improvement
If you grow pumpkins for fall carving or pie, this research points toward seed varieties bred to shrug off the fungal spots and rot that can wipe out a patch overnight.
A fungus called Colletotrichum magnum causes anthracnose, a disease that rots pumpkins and can devastate harvests. Researchers figured out the exact conditions this fungus needs to grow, and just as importantly, what kills it (55°C heat for 10 minutes). They then tested 113 different pumpkin varieties by spraying them with the fungus and found 22 that showed real resistance, giving plant breeders a starting point for developing disease-tough pumpkin varieties.
Key Findings
Fungal pathogen identified as Colletotrichum magnum through morphological and molecular analysis, thriving best at pH 6, 28°C, in the dark with soluble carbon and peptone nitrogen sources
Anthracnose mycelium is killed by heat exposure of 55°C for 10 minutes, informing sanitation and storage practices
Screening of 113 pumpkin germplasm accessions using a spray-inoculation method (1×10^7 conidia/ml at two-leaf stage) identified 3 resistant and 19 moderately resistant accessions
chevron_right Technical Summary
Scientists identified the fungus causing pumpkin anthracnose disease, figured out exactly what conditions make it thrive, and screened 113 pumpkin varieties to find 22 that resist infection, a key step toward breeding tougher pumpkin crops.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Evaluation and Identification of Anthracnose Resistance in Pumpkin Germplasm.
Pumpkin fruits have high nutritional and medicinal values, rendering pumpkin an important economic crop. Anthracnose, caused by pathogenic fungi of the genus Colletotrichum, is one of the major dis...
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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A pumpkin is a cultivated winter squash in the genus Cucurbita. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many different squashes of varied appearance and belonging to multiple species ...