Fruit flies are key pests of cucurbits in many parts of the world, including Tanzania. Developmental biology of Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) has been determined across temperature regimes in some cucurbitaceous hosts, in limited geographies. This study was conducted to determine duration and survival rates of immature stages of Z. cucurbitae in three cucurbitaceous hosts, at different tem...

A study of two cultivars of ‘egusi’ melon [Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsun and Nakai] known as bara and serewe, was undertaken at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Agriculture Makurdi in 2010. The aim was to study the effects of variable developmental stages and position of fruits on the mother plant on seed quality. Bulk crop was raised and fruits that developed from date t...

Grafted seedlings are used commonly in commercial vegetable culture in countries such as Korea and Japan, where land use is intensive. Lee (1994) has reviewed the physiological aspects of grafting. The percentage of cultivated area of grafted seedlings in outdoor commercial vegetable culture amounts to 81% in Korea and 54% in Japan (Table 2 in Lee, 1994). In greenhouse cultivation, the percenta...

The incidence of watermelon chlorotic stunt disease and molecular characterization of the Palestinian isolate of Watermelon chlorotic stunt virus (WmCSV-[PAL]) are described in this study. Symptomatic leaf samples obtained from watermelon Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.), and cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) plants were tested for WmCSV-[PAL] infection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Rolling Circ...

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum. & Nakai was a climacteric variety with high respiration rate and ethylene accumulation. Therefore the fruit matures softeness quickly during post-harvest period. Calcium chloride popularly utilized as stabilizing agent. 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) has been known to be highly effective inhibitor of reaction. This research evaluated synergistic ...

This study was conducted to determine the Phytophthora rot resistance of 514 accessions of watermelon germplasm, Citrullus lanatus var lanatus. About 46% of the 514 accessions tested were collections from Uzbekistan, Turkey, China, U.S.A., and Ukraine. Phytophthora capsici was inoculated to 45-day-old watermelon seedlings by drenching with 5 ml of sporangial suspension (10(6) sporangia/ml). At ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Watermelons, Citrullus species (Cucurbitaceae), are native to Africa and have been cultivated since ancient times. The fruit flesh of wild watermelons is watery, but typically hard-textured, pale-coloured and bland or bitter. The familiar sweet dessert watermelons, C. lanatus, featuring non-bitter, tender, well-coloured flesh, have a narrow genetic base, suggesting that they...