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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Docs » CGC » Vegetable Improvement Newsletter No. 21, February 1979
Vegetable Improvement Newsletter No. 21, February 1979
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Compiled by H.M. Munger, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

1. A Summary of Cucumbers Released from the Cornell Breeding Program

H.M. Munger

Departments of Plant Breeding and Vegetable Crops, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853

The purpose of this note is to summarize and clarify the status of cucumbers released as either varieties or germplasm from Cornell University. In the table, the symbol "+" indicates that the item carries the character named in the column heading, while "-" indicates its absence.

In the Tablegreen series, Tablegreen 72 (the non-bitter version of Tablegreen 65) was originally considered a germplasm release, but there has been some interest in using it as a variety and it is now available for increase as such. Tablegreen 72F (non-bitter and gynoecious) has not been offered previously but it is available in small amounts. If we should happen to get many requests, we may have to multiply it in 1979 before we can supply much seed.

Spacemaster was offered for trial as 72-196 and only one seedsman wanted to multiply and introduce it. If others are interested, small amounts of foundation seed are available.  It is essentially a very dwarf version of Tablegreen 65.

Marketmore 72 (non-bitter Marketmore 70) might have been a variety except for a black spine contaminant that ruined our initial increase.  By the time it was cleaned up, Marketmore 76 seemed so much more important that Marketmore 72 was bypassed. A true stock of Marketmore 72 is available as germplasm if anyone wants it. That is probably irrelevant now that Marketmore 80 (non-bitter PMR) is nearly ready for release. The susceptibility of non-bitter cucumbers to spider mites which has been reported is something we have seen repeatedly in the greenhouse. We have seen it once in the field in some 10 or 12 years of growing this type of cucumber. Caution in adopting the non-bitter types would seem to be advisable in any circumstance where mites are known to be a problem.

Marketmore 72F (non-bitter gynoecious) has been requested by a few seedsmen and some seed is still available. A more important gynoecious line is Marketmore 76F which is mildew resistant but does not carry the non-bitter gene. We need to recheck the homozygosity of some of the progenies on hand and the result along with extent of interest in the seed will determine whether we have enough seed to release in the spring of 1979.

Characteristics of Cornell Cucumber Variety and Germplasm Releases.

 
Type
Status * 1979
Gynoecious
CMV Res.
Scab Res.
PM Res.
DM Res.
Unif. color
Non-bitter
Dwarf
Tablegreen
Slicer
V
-
High
-
Med.
Med.
+
-
-
Tablegreen 65
Slicer
V
-
High
+
Med.
Med.
+
-
-
Tablegreen 66 **
Slicer
G
-
High
+
Med.
Med.
+
-
-
Tablegreen 68
Slicer
G
+
High
+
Med.
Med.
+
-
-
Tablegreen 72
Slicer
V
-
High
+
Med.
Med.
+
+
-
Tablegreen 72F
Slicer
G
+
High
+
Med.
Med.
+
+
-
Spacemaster
Slicer
V
-
High
+
Med.
Med.
+
-
+
Marketmore
Slicer
V
-
High
+
-
-
-
-
-
Marketmore 70
Slicer
V
-
High
+
-
-
+
-
-
Marketmore 70F
Slicer
G
+
High
+
-
-
+
-
-
Marketmore 72
Slicer
G
-
High
+
-
-
+
+
-
Marketmore 72F
Slicer
G
+
High
+
-
-
+
+
-
Marketmore 76
Slicer
V
-
High
+
High
High
+
-
-
Marketmore 76F
Slicer
Trial
+
High
+
High
High
+
-
-
Marketmore 80
Slicer
Trial
-
High
+
High
High
+
+
-
Poinsett 76
Slicer
V
-
Susc.
+
Med. High
Med. High
+
-
-
SR551
Pickle
G
-
High
+
-
-
-
-
-
SR551F
Pickle
G
+
High
+
-
-
-
-
-

*V= Variety, G = Germplasm

**Similar to Tablegreen 65 but with longer fruit and later maturity

2. Development of New High-Quality Decorative Cucurbita Maxima Hubbard, Marrow, and Cylindrical Fruit Types

Dermot P. Coyne

Department of Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503

There is a need to develop an attractive smaller size Hubbard and Marrow type squashes for the modern smaller size families. In addition dual purpose winter squashes combining attractive skin color markings and wartiness as well as good baking quality should be useful to the homeowner for decoration as well as for cooking.

I report here on some unexpected variation and selections for these fruit types made here in a donated Cucurbita maxima population as well as selection for a novel elongated cylindrical attractively colored winter squash.

I received seed, from which these selections were made in a highly variable population, from the late Wayne Whitney, Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska, who in turn received the seed from Mrs. Alice Graham, Ashland, Nebraska. The first mention of this 'Indian' squash was in the Fort Atkinson and Fort Robinson's military records of the Nebraska territory. It was reported that the Indians who inhabited the area stored this squash and used it to prevent scurvy. The troopers then grew this squash in their gardens and avoided scurvy in the winter by eating this squash. Army wives gave this seed to Mrs. Newman of Alliance, Nebraska, and was grown by her in her garden until given to Mrs. Graham about 1953.

The original squash type was described as being about 30-34 inches long, 8 to 10 inches in diameter with a deep green skin and brilliant color markings. Baking quality was reported as excellent. I found no description of this type of squash in the literature and was interested in making it available to the Nebraska public. I planted the 200 seeds made available to me and made a self on each plant. Only one plant produced a fruit possessing fruits approaching the original fruit description. The segregation clearly indicated that the population had outcrossed to Hubbard and possibly Banana types in a local garden.

The variation of fruit shapes (Hubbard, Marrow, and the original elongated type) with brilliant and attractive color markings on warted or smooth rinds, and different fruit sizes, provided as excellent opportunity to make selfed selections of new fruit types possessing both highly decorative effects and good baking quality. The derived S6 lines will now be evaluated in trials in 1979 and 1980. Seed of the more promising lines will then be increased and then made available to interested persons in 1980.

I think these squash types will be useful to sell to the public in road-side stands and sold on the basis of good baking quality as well for decoration.

3. Development of a Round C. Moschata Winter Squash with Butternut Qualities and Free of the Crookneck Rogue

Dermot P. Coyne

Department of Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68503

A true breeding crookneck rogue CR-67-1-7 derived from Butternut was crossed with Yellow Cushaw (also true breeding for crookneck fruit) to determine if they possessed the same gene controlling the crookneck trait. Segregation for crookneck and straightneck fruit was observed in the F2 of the reciprocal crosses indicating that different genes controlling the crookneck trait were present in each of the parents. Five different shapes of straightneck fruit were as follows: blocky butternut's type, long butternut type, narrow-necked fruit with large bulb, bell-shaped fruit with no neck, and short and flattened fruit with no neck.  Selfed selections (S4) for the latter two fruit types and for near-round fruit types were made because of the possible usefulness of these types as indicated later in this note. Near-round fruit with Butternut-colored skin, flesh, and baking characteristics were selected from open pollinated (outcross to Butternut lines) plants in the S4 generation and selections were again made for this fruit type through the S6 generation. We decided to discard lines possessing flattened or bell-shaped fruits since our local public did not appear interested in picking these types in abandoned plots at the end of the season while they removed all the Butternut and round types.

This new type of winter squash will need a market test to determine consumer acceptance. The fruit are about the same size as the regular Acorn and are prepared in the same manner for baking as Acorn squash. In my view, the quality of our baked round type is superior in flavor and texture to Acorn squash. I need to obtain storage data on this new type of squash but preliminary observations indicate that it will not store as well as Acorn.

The crookneck rogue and fruit splitting are a recurring problem in most stocks of regular Butternut and causes problems for the seed producers and the growers. I have observed no crookneck rogues on split fruit in this round type squash, so we may have overcome these problems by developing a round type with qualities similar to Butternut.

This type of squash will be compared in replicated yield trials with Butternut and Acorn squash in 1979. A storage experiment will also be conducted.

A small seed increase will also be made in isolation in 1979 and seed made available for testing next fall.

4. Uncatalogued Vegetable Varieties Available for Trial in 1979

This list is aimed at facilitating the exchange of information about potential new varieties, or new varieties which have not yet appeared in catalogues. Persons conducting vegetable variety trials who wish seed of items on this list should request samples from the sources indicated.

It is the responsibility of the person sending out seed to specify that it is for trial only, or any other restriction he may want to place on its use.

Crops are listed alphabetically. For each entry the following information is given: Designation, source of trial samples, outstanding characteristics, variety suggested for comparison (not given separately if mentioned in description), status of variety (preliminary trial, advanced trial, to be released, or released) and contributor of information if different from source of trial samples. Where several samples are listed consecutively from on source, the address is given only for the first.

5. Stocks Desired

Request from Vivian J. Holmes, Univ. of Connecticut, U-67, Plant Science, Storrs, Conn. 06268.

For Bell Pepper -Sweet - Capsicum: Early flowering, large bell, heavy flower set, heavy fruit set.