Leaf: Large leaves, sometimes rough and sharp to touch,

prominent veins

• Order: Cucurbitales

• Family: Cucurbitaceae (Gourd family)

• Genus: Cucurbita

• Species: Cucurbita pepo

History:

Cucurbita pepo, a species native to North America, has been cultivated for thousands of years and originates from wild forms in northeastern Mexico and Texas. Initially, Americans consumed the nutritious seeds because of the bitterness of the mature fruit flesh. Domestication though had as a result the choice of larger seeds.

1) Vitamin A

2) Vitamin C

3) Vitamin E

4) Niacin, thiamine

5) Antioxidants

-Andolfo, G., Amoroso, C. G., & Ercolano, M. R. (2021). Disease resistance breeding with genomic tools in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.). In Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Vegetable Crops: Volume 9: Fruits and Young Shoots (pp. 407-422). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

-ajdigi. (2023, July 18). How to Get Rid of Aphids on Zucchini Plant | Live to Plant. https://livetoplant.com/how-to-get-rid-of-aphids-on-zucchini-plant/

-Bucki, P., Regdos, K., Siwek, P., Domagała-Świątkiewicz, I., & Kaszycki, P. (2021). Impact of soil management practices on yield quality, weed infestation and soil microbiota abundance in organic zucchini production. Scientia Horticulturae, 281, 109989.

-Caligiore-Gei, P. F., Della-Gaspera, P., Benitez, E., & Tarnowski, C. (2022). Cucurbit Powdery Mildew: First Insights for the Identification of the Causal Agent and Screening for Resistance of Squash Genotypes (Cucurbita moschata (Duchesne ex Lam.) Duchesne ex Poir.) in Mendoza, Argentina. The Plant Pathology Journal, 38(4), 296.

-Identifying Male and Female Zucchini Flowers—GreenThumbsGuide. (2023, September 6). https://greenthumbsguide.com/identifying-male-and-female-zucchini-flowers/

-Lecoq, H., & Desbiez, C. (2008). Watermelon mosaic virus and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus.

-Liburd, O., Nyoike, T., & Spies, J. (2015). Biology and Management of Aphids in Sustainable Field Production of Cucurbits. University Of Florida EDIS IFAS Extension, ENY847. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-in761-2008

-Paris, H. S. (2001). History of the cultivar-groups of Cucurbita pepo. HORTICULTURAL REVIEWS-WESTPORT THEN NEW YORK-, 25, 71-170

-Paris, H. S. (1989). Historical records, origins, and development of the edible cultivar groups of Cucurbita pepo (Cucurbitaceae). Economic Botany, 43(4), 423-443.

-Perring, T. M., Stansly, P. A., Liu, T. X., Smith, H. A., & Andreason, S. A. (2018). Chapter 4 - Whiteflies: Biology, Ecology, and Management. In W. Wakil, G. E. Brust, & T. M. Perring (Eds.), Sustainable Management of Arthropod Pests of Tomato (pp. 73–110). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-802441-6.00004-8

-Santosh, D. T., & Maitra, S. (2021). Estimation irrigation water requirement of Zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) under protected cultivation structures and in open field conditions. Ind. J. Nat. Sci, 12(69), 37380-373385.

-Tapley, W. T. (1934). The Vegetables of New York. JB Lyon

-Uddain, J., Tripti, S. I., Jahan, M. S., Sultana, N., Rahman, M. J., & Subramaniam, S. (2019). Changes of morphological and biochemical properties in organically grown Zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). HortScience, 54(9), 1485-1491.

-Volesky, N., Murray, M., & Nischwitz, C. (2022). Fusarium and Verticillium Wilts of Vegetables.

-White Flies on Zucchini Plants: A Comprehensive Guide - Rockets Garden. (2023, August 25). https://rocketsgarden.com/white-flies-on-zucchini-plants/

• It is a cucurbit pathogen and started causing major yield losses in the late 1970s (Lisa et. al, 1981, Lecoq et. al, 1981)

• Restricted host range

• It is getting transferred by aphids

• If the disease hits in an early growth stage it can cause up to 75-90% losses.

• Mainly, can transfer by the seeds

  
  

  Symptoms:

• The leaves develop a yellow mosaic pattern and become severely blistered and deeply cut

• The fruits become distorted with noticeable lumps (Lisa & Lecoq, 1984), and in yellow-fruited varieties, they may remain green with glossy yellow bumps (Provvidenti et al., 1984a).

-The disease is usually identified by the presence of the pathogen's signs, which manifest as whitish colonies on both sides of the leaves.

Symptoms:

• Leaf yellowing

• Necrosis

• Premature death of leaves

• Lowering the yield if we have leave losses

-Verticillium dahliae and V. albo-atrum = Fungi can survive years in soil (main pathogens)

-Ideal temperature to trigger them: 21-30° C, and with wet soils fungus infects plants through their roots

Symptoms:

• Wilting (Wilting of the leaves, often starting with older leaves)

• Yellowing (Leaves may turn yellow)

• V-shaped lesion (Yellowing and browning can form V-shaped patterns that progress from the leaf edges toward the center)

• Leaf drop (Severely infected plants may shed leaves prematurely)

• Darkened Vascular tissue (When the stem is cut open, the vascular tissue often appears dark brown or black)

07 007 Hypocotyl with cotyledons breaking through seed coat

01 001 Beginning of seed imbibition

03 003 Seed imbibition complete

09 009 Emergence: cotyledons break through soil surface

10 100 Cotyledons completely unfolded

11 101 First true leaf on main stem fully unfolded

12 102 2nd true leaf on main stem unfolded

13 103 3rd true leaf on main stem unfolded

14 104 4th true leaf on main stem unforlded

15 105 5th true leaf on main stem unfolded

16 106 6th true leaf on main stem unfolded

17 107 7th true leaf on main stem unfolded

18 108 8th true leaf on main stem unfolded

19 109 9th true leaf on main stem unfolded

Half of the soil used was vermicompost

53 503 3rd flower initial with elongated ovary visible on the main stem

54 504 4th flower initial with elongated ovary visible on the main stem

55 505 5th flower initial with elongated ovary visible on the main stem: 2 female flowers and two male

71 701 First fruit on the main stem has reached the typical size and form

1)Fusarium Wilt: Initially starts with yellowing of the lower leaves, which then wilt and fall.

2) Verticillium Wilt: Starts with yellowing or chlorosis that might be more irregular. The change in the color of the leaves might be consistent with early stages of wilt diseases.

3)It is possible this could be due to other stress factors such as overwatering or nutrient imbalances.

51 501 First flower initial with elongated ovary visible on the main stem

52 502 2nd flower initial with elongated ovary visible on the main stem

• Female zucchini flowers have a small zucchini fruit at their base.

• These flowers usually have shorter stems and are located closer to the plant's center.

• The bulbous structure at the base, similar to a developing zucchini, identifies a female flower.

• Female flowers contain pistils, which receive and fertilize pollen from male flowers.

Male Flower:

• Male zucchini flowers emerge on the plant before female flowers, usually by a few days.

• They are lighter and more delicate than female flowers.

• A distinguishing feature of male flowers is the lack of a zucchini fruit at their base.

• Male flowers often have longer stems and can be found in groups.

• They are essential for pollination as they contain stamens, which generate pollen for fertilization.

Aphids:

• Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are tiny, pear-shaped, soft-bodied insects. Their high reproductive capacity and ability to spread viral diseases make them significant and widespread threats to many crops globally.

• Aphids extract sap from plants, causing the leaves to curl and become distorted, particularly when their population is large.

• Management practices:

  Methods, such as using physical barriers, spacing and timing of crop planting, mulching, crop rotation, border crops, and cover crops, can help prevent aphids from settling on host plants.

Ways to extinct:

1. Biological Control: Introducing natural predators, like ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitic wasps, can help maintain aphid populations at manageable levels.

2. Spraying: Using environmentally friendly treatments, such as insecticidal soaps or neem oil, can effectively manage aphid infestations.

3. Manual Intervention: Physically removing aphids by spraying them off plants with a strong water jet can provide temporary relief from these pests.

How to manage:

• Neem Oil: Serves as a whitefly repellent and disrupts their life cycle.

• Insecticidal Soaps: Derived from natural fatty acids, these soaps effectively target whiteflies while sparing beneficial insects.

• Manual Intervention: Using a strong water spray to physically weaken whiteflies from zucchini plants is an efficient, chemical-free approach.