Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326933
Title: CucCAP - Developing genomic resources for the cucurbit community

Author
item GRUMET, REBECCA - Michigan State University
item FEI, ZHANGJUN - Boyce Thompson Institute
item Levi, Amnon
item McCreight, James - Jim
item MAZOUREK, MICHAEL - Cornell University
item PALMA, MARCO - Texas A&M University
item SCHULTHEIS, JONATHAN - North Carolina State University
item Weng, Yiqun
item HAUSBECK, MARY - Michigan State University
item Kousik, Chandrasekar - Shaker
item Ling, Kai-Shu
item MCGREGOR, CECILIA - University Of Georgia
item QUESADA, LINA - North Carolina State University
item RAMIREZ, ANGELA LINARES - University Of Puerto Rico
item REDDY, UMESH - West Virginia State University
item RIBERA, LOUIS - Texas A&M University
item SMART, CHRISTINE - Cornell University
item Wechter, William - Pat
item WEHNER, TODD - North Carolina State University
item WESSEL-BEAVER, LINDA - University Of Puerto Rico
item Wintermantel, William - Bill

Submitted to: Cucurbitaceae Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/5/2016
Publication Date: 8/26/2016
Citation: Grumet, R., Fei, Z., Levi, A., Mccreight, J.D., Mazourek, M., Palma, M., Schultheis, J., Weng, Y., Hausbeck, M., Kousik, C.S., Ling, K., Mcgregor, C., Quesada, L., Ramirez, A., Reddy, U., Ribera, L., Smart, C., Wechter, W.P., Wehner, T., Wessel-Beaver, L., Wintermantel, W.M. 2016. CucCAP - Developing genomic resources for the cucurbit community. In: Kozik, E.U., Paris, H.S., editors. Cucurbitaceae 2016, XIth Eucarpia Meeting on Genetics and Breeding of Cucurbitaceae, July 24-28, 2016, Warsaw, Poland. p. 222–226.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The U.S. cucurbit community has initiated a USDA-SCRI funded cucurbit genomics project, CucCAP: Leveraging applied genomics to increase disease resistance in cucurbit crops. Our primary objectives are: develop genomic and bioinformatic breeding tool kits for accelerated crop improvement across the Cucurbitaceae; use these tools to facilitate introgression of disease resistance into commercially valuable cucurbit cultivars; perform economic analysis and provide readily accessible information to facilitate disease control. We will develop sequence and phenotype databases and bioinformatics tools for watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), melon (Cucumis melo), cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and squash (Cucurbita pepo). Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) will be performed on approximately 1000 accessions from the plant introduction collections for each of the four crops. These data will be used to develop genome-informed core collections of 384 accessions for each species. Individual plants from the core collections will be self-pollinated and re-genotyped by GBS, providing a set of diverse lines and their sequence data, SNP datasets and genetic maps. These resources will be available for future phenotypic and GWAS analysis of any traits of interest. Genomic and phenomic data and bioinformatic tools will be publicly available through the International Cucurbit Genomics Initiative (ICuGI) website, along with workshops and webinars to facilitate use. The CucCAP project will focus on resistance to key diseases for each crop as identified by cucurbit producers. GWAS and bi-parental populations will be used to identify resistance associated QTL and initiate marker development. Breeding efforts for resistances to downy mildew, Fusarium, gummy stem blight, Phytophthora capsici, powdery mildew and several viruses will be performed in parallel with genomic analyses and tool development. Genomic and breeding efforts will be complemented by development of a centralized cucurbit disease website with content in English and Spanish providing diagnostic information, disease control recommendations, disease alerts and links to disease clinics and forecasting tools.