Thladiantha dubia Bunge as an invasively dangerous species in Ukraine

The distribution of a potentially invasive species from the Cucurbitaceae family — Thladiantha dubia is considered in Ukraine. The current significant increase in the distribution of the species in many regions of Ukraine has been clarified. It was established that the species was introduced in Uman in 1964. It was found that due to vegetative propagation the species spread beyond the primary introduction site in the botanical nursery of Uman National Univer- sity of Horticulture and around it. The absence of generative reproduction in the analyzed introductory population was established, as there are only male specimens of this dioecious plant. Measures to prevent further spread of Thladiantha dubia are recommended.

The Effect of Different Growing Media on Physical Morphology of Rockmelon (Cucumis Melo Linn cv. Glamour) Seedling

Rockmelon (Cucumis melo L.) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family, which can adapt to various soil and climate areas, especially in Malaysia. The production of rockmelon in Malaysia has highly declined, and for this reason, farmers have opted to use the concept of soilless cultivation due to it benefits accrued from soilless media such as cocopeat, perlite, and burnt rice husk. The study was carried out to determine the effect of different growing media on the physical morphology of rockmelon seedlings. This experiment was set up using RCBD arrangements with four replications. Different growing media used were: (i) 100% Black Soil (BS), (ii) 75% cocopeat + 15% burnt rice husk + 10% perlite (M1) and (iii) 75% cocopeat + 20% burnt rice husk + 5% perlite (M2). The parameters measured were plant height, number of leaves and total leaves area, and stem girth. The data were collected within two weeks after transplanting. The parameters measured were subjected to ANOVA and LSD was applied to compare means. In this study, rockmelon seedlings treated on BS showed significantly (P<0.001) the highest plant height, number of leaves per plant, and total leaves area and stem girth. Seedlings on soilless M1, however, grew in slightly good conditions, as it showed the insignificantly higher values on morphological parameters measured. Thus, BS is still suitable for better use of media for 15 days old rockmelon seedlings (after transplanting). It gives the optimum conditions for adapting seedlings to the new exposure environment.

The Diversity of Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) on Combination of Attractant and Different Trap Height in Cucumber Field (Cucumis sativus L.)

The main pest in the Cucurbitaceae family is the fruit fly. The common effort to control fruit flies is using a trap with methyl eugenol (ME) and cue lure (CUE) as an insect attractant. The trap height installation is also affecting the fruit fly population. The fruit fly population in the field has an important effect on the damage intensity in the commodity. This research objective was to study the distribution and diversity of fruit fly on the cucumber field with trap height installation and attractant combination. The used research method was Factorial Group Randomized Design (RAKF). The first factor was attractant combination of Metil Eugenol (ME) and Cue Lure (CUE) consisted of 6 treatment levels were K1 : 5 mL ME, K2: 5 mL ME + 1 mL CUE, K3: 5 mL ME + 3 mL CUE, K4: 5 mL ME + 5 mL CUE, K5: 5 mL ME + 7 mL CUE and K6 : 5 mL CUE. While the second factor was the high tramp installation consisted of 3 treatment levels were T1: 50 cm, T2: 100 cm, and T3: 150 cm. The treatment consisted of 3 replication on three different cucumber fields. The result showed discovered fruit fly species were eight species, B. dorsalis (Hendel), B. carambolae Drew & Hancock, B. occipitalis (Bezzi), Z. caudata (Fabricius), B. umbrosa (Fabricius), B. neocognata Drew & Hancock, Z. cucurbitae (Fabricius) and B. albistrigata (de meijere). The dominant fruit fly in each treatment in fruit fly fields was B. dorsalis (Hendel). The best treatment in trapping fruit fly was K1 (5 mL ME) with trap height installation T1 (50 cm). The diversity and species richness of fruit fly in the cucumber field was considered low and uneven.

Origin, Evolution, Breeding, and Omics of Chayote, an Important Cucurbitaceae Vegetable Crop

Chayote (Sechium edule), a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is cultivated throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world and utilized in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries because it is an excellent source of minerals, dietary fibers, protein, vitamins, carotenoids, polysaccharides, phenolic and flavonoid compounds, and other nutrients. Chayote extracts process various medicinal properties, such as anti-cardiovascular, antidiabetic, antiobesity, antiulcer, and anticancer properties. With the rapid advancements of molecular biology and sequencing technology, studies on chayote have been carried out. Research advances, including molecular makers, breeding, genomic research, chemical composition, and pests and diseases, regarding chayote are reviewed in this paper. Future exploration and application trends are briefly described. This review provides a reference for basic and applied research on chayote, an important Cucurbitaceae vegetable crop.

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Gynostemma pentaphyllum provides insights into gypenoside biosynthesis

Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino is an economically valuable medicinal plant belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family that produces the bioactive compound gypenoside. Despite several transcriptomes having been generated for G. pentaphyllum, a reference genome is still unavailable, which has limited the understanding of the gypenoside biosynthesis and regulatory mechanism. Here, we report a high-quality G. pentaphyllum genome with a total length of 582 Mb comprising 1,232 contigs and a scaffold N50 of 50.78 Mb. The G. pentaphyllum genome comprised 59.14% repetitive sequences and 25,285 protein-coding genes. Comparative genome analysis revealed that G. pentaphyllum was related to Siraitia grosvenorii, with an estimated divergence time dating to the Paleogene (∼48 million years ago). By combining transcriptome data from seven tissues, we reconstructed the gypenoside biosynthetic pathway and potential regulatory network using tissue-specific gene co-expression network analysis. Four UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), belonging to the UGT85 subfamily and forming a gene cluster, were involved in catalyzing glycosylation in leaf-specific gypenoside biosynthesis. Furthermore, candidate biosynthetic genes and transcription factors involved in the gypenoside regulatory network were identified. The genetic information obtained in this study provides insights into gypenoside biosynthesis and lays the foundation for further exploration of the gypenoside regulatory mechanism.

Genetic Resources and Vulnerabilities of Major Cucurbit Crops

The Cucurbitaceae family provides numerous important crops including watermelons (Citrullus lanatus), melons (Cucumis melo), cucumbers (Cucumis sativus), and pumpkins and squashes (Cucurbita spp.). Centers of domestication in Africa, Asia, and the Americas were followed by distribution throughout the world and the evolution of secondary centers of diversity. Each of these crops is challenged by multiple fungal, oomycete, bacterial, and viral diseases and insects that vector disease and cause feeding damage. Cultivated varieties are constrained by market demands, the necessity for climatic adaptations, domestication bottlenecks, and in most cases, limited capacity for interspecific hybridization, creating narrow genetic bases for crop improvement. This analysis of crop vulnerabilities examines the four major cucurbit crops, their uses, challenges, and genetic resources. ex situ germplasm banks, the primary strategy to preserve genetic diversity, have been extensively utilized by cucurbit breeders, especially for resistances to biotic and abiotic stresses. Recent genomic efforts have documented genetic diversity, population structure, and genetic relationships among accessions within collections. Collection size and accessibility are impacted by historical collections, current ability to collect, and ability to store and maintain collections. The biology of cucurbits, with insect-pollinated, outcrossing plants, and large, spreading vines, pose additional challenges for regeneration and maintenance. Our ability to address ongoing and future cucurbit crop vulnerabilities will require a combination of investment, agricultural, and conservation policies, and technological advances to facilitate collection, preservation, and access to critical Cucurbitaceae diversity.

Management of Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne Incognita Dreaded Invading in Pointed Gourd (Trichosanthes dioica Roxb.) Crop Prone to Eastern U.P of India

Pointed gourd belongs to cucurbitaceae family and is extensively cultivated in eastern Uttar Pradesh (10000 Hectares), Bihar (14000 hectares), West Bengal, Assam, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujrat. Its plants are perennial in nature and can survive for several years even if left uncared. This crop occupies large area of land in India. The system of cultivation varies from region to region such as trained on pandals or ardours especially during the rainy season in southern and western India. However, it is most susceptible to root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, the population level or density of root-knot nematodes were found in the range of 15–100 per cent of the root and soil samples. This nematode induces severe damage to pointed gourd on coarse-textured sandy soils, particularly during droughts stress. Crop failure is noticed at earlier stage of vines. In view of fact it is necessary to evolve the integrated strategies for management of root-knot nematode in this viny crop.

A comprehensive review on the medicinal importance; biological and therapeutic efficacy of Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) (bottle gourd) Standley fruit

: Herbal remedies have been employed for the treatment and management of different diseases for ages. Herbal medicines are a promising choice over modern synthetic drugs because of their low side effects and are thus considered safe and effective in treating human diseases. Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standley fruit (Bottle gourd) belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family that has been used in a different system of traditional medication to treat various diseases. This is a domestic plant that provides food as well as medication. This vegetable has low caloric values and high water contents. The edible portion of it contains phytochemicals like vitamins, proteins, choline, minerals, terpenoids, flavonoids etc. Several bioactive compounds have been isolated from L. siceraria, including triterpenoids, sterols, cucurbitacins, flavones, C-glycosides and β-glycosides. Researchers have evaluated various parts of this plant viz., fruit, root, flowers, and leaves for pharmacological activities like antianxiety, antidepressant, diuretic, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, antihyperlipidemic, cardioprotective, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anthelmintic, anti-hyperglycemic, antihepatotoxic, anti-urolithiatic, antistress, antiulcer, anticancer, hepatoprotective, anthelmintic, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant. In this review, an attempt has been made to explore its phytochemical constituents, traditional, medicinal, and pharmacological uses to highlight the therapeutic importance of this well-known plant. This would be helpful in reviving its importance and highlight its several promising aspects to encourage researchers for further research on L. siceraria.