Cucurbits

1
Cucurbits

• Family Cucurbitaceae
• Includes pumpkins, squash, gourds, cucumbers,
  and melons

2
Pumpkins and Squash

• Key points
• What are the differences between summer squash,
  winter squash, and pumpkin?
• The implementations of separate male and female
  flowers.
• Key production problems and their control.
• What are zucchini and blue hubbard squash?
• Important factors in processing pumpkins.

3
Pumpkins and Squash

• How do you differentiate summer squash, winter
  squash, and pumpkins?
• Are they in separate species?

4
Pumpkins and Squash

• No pumpkins and squash occur in four species
• Cucurbita pepo
• Native to North America north of Mexico City
• Most diverse of species includes squash,
  pumpkins, and _____________________
• Cucurbita _________________________
• Probably the earliest species to be cultivated
• Includes winter squash and processing pumpkins

5
Pumpkins and Squash

• Cucurbita _____________
• Native of South America
• Includes giant pumpkins
• Cucurbita mixta
• Grown in southern US
• Contains Green Striped _________________
• Good flavor

6
Pumpkins and Squash

• Then how do summer squash, winter squash, and
  pumpkins differ?
• Do they differ in maturity?stay tuned

7
Flower Characteristics

• Edible
• Monoecious
• Separate male flowers with _______________ and
  female flowers with ovaries on the same plant
• Requires _____________ pollination
• Results in cross pollination
• Can not collect and replant seed

8
Key production Problems

• Cucumber beetle
• Viruses

9
Key Production Problems

• ____________________ beetles and bacterial wilt
• Beetles feed on plants and blossoms
• Can have very high numbers
• Transmit bacterial wilt
• More harmful to young plants
• Why are beetles such a problem?
• Are attracted by chemicals that plants release
• Are also called _____________ root worms

10
Key Production Problems

• How do you control cucumber beetle?
• Integrated pest management (IPM)
• Critical to control when plants are young
• Sevin or _____________ insecticides
• Row tunnels
• _____________ of the beetle
• Must be removed to allow bee pollination
• Natural predators include soldier beetles,
  tachinid flies, ___________wasps

11
Key Production Problems

• Viruses
• Are transmitted by ________________
• Can limit the production of yellow summer
  _______________
• Can you become ill from a plant virus?

12
Key Production Problems
Grow resistant squash (i) Precocious yellow
gene makes squash unable to develop
green color (ii) Cross between two Cucurbita
species confers resistance to some
___________________ (iii) GMO cultivars
containing gene responsible for virus coat protein

• Managing cucurbit viruses
• Controlling the aphid vector
• _____________ oils clean the aphid stylet of
  viruses
• Reflective mulches
• Grow ______________ squash green fruit color
  masks the discoloration

13
Genetically modified organisms or transgenetic
vegetables

• Why is there such a controversy about GMOs in
  Europe?
• What do you think about GMOs?
• Do consumers have a right to know that there are
  GMOs in their foods?
• Should products containing GMOs be labeled? See
• http//www.geo-pie-cornell.edu/crops/squash.html

14
Summer Squash

• Members of C. pepo
• Growth characteristics
• Fruit are harvested immature before the rind
  (________) hardens and seeds are mature
• Often the smaller the harvested fruit, the better
  tenderness and ____________

15
Summer Squash

• Zucchini
• Most popular summer squash
• Originated around 1900 and introduced into US by
  Italian immigrants in 1920s
• Name from zucca Italian for squash or
  _______________
• Zucchini and chocolate

16
Top 10 things to do with giant zucchini fruit

• 10. Paint face on sell as pet zucchini
• 9. Give to mailman for throwing at charging dogs
• 8. Grave flutes for musical groups
• 7. Box a bunch as a present for your Professor
• 6. Create a space alien to scare friends.
• 5. Make zucchini-sicles for the neighborhood kids
• 4. Use them as boat fenders
• 3. Create an artwork on your neighbors lawn
• 2. Use them to fill potholes
• 1. Present a truckload to that person who just
  dumped you

17
Winter squash

• Harvesting
• Fruit when are uniform in color and rind is
  _______
• Harvest after the _____________ die back
• Often this is after the first light frost but
  before a heavy frost
• Preparation
• Dry dense flesh that is ideally suited to
  culinary uses

18
Winter Squash

• Blue Hubbard
• Named for Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard from Marblehead,
  MA 1842
• We were first informed of its good qualities by
  Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard, a very worthy lady,
  through who we obtained seedmy father termed it
  the Hubbard Squash James Gregory, The Magazine
  of Horticulture, Dec. 1857
• Good for processingused in _______________ food
• Stores well

19
Pumpkins

• What is a pumpkin?
• Pumpkins are defined as the edible fruit of any
  Cucurbita species that is harvested mature and is
  not used as a ________________ vegetable
• The name comes from poumpon, the French word for
  ______________________

20
Pumpkin uses

• Carving for Halloween
• Comes from an Irish tradition
• Roasting the ______
• Very old traditional use
• High in _________
• Are hull-less, naked seed
• Pie filling
• Libby pumpkins grown in area around Morton, IL

21
Processing Pumpkins

• Processing pumpkins are actually in C. moshata
  more closely related to some winter squash
• Have thick flesh, little stringy _______________,
  and small seed cavity