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Huge quantities of agricultural waste are available annually in Saudi Arabia, which are not well exploited, leading to large environmental pollution and health problems. The use of different proportions of tomato waste compost (TWC) mixed with commercial peat-moss as a natural, economical, cheap and environmentally friendly fertilizer for fertilizing vegetables is very important, therefore, this study is concerned with investigating and evaluating the dry matter content (DM) and the accumulated heavy metal contents (HMs) in the root and leaf seedlings tissues of cucumber and summer squash plants as a result of using this fertilizer. Five ratios of mixtures (vermiculite: peat moss: TWC by weight) used in the experiment, and the TWC in the mixture represents 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% (by wieght). The results indicated that, the DM contents in the root and leaf tissues were relatively close between cucumber and summer squash seedlings. However, they were higher in the root than in leaf tissues, particularly under 20% TWC. A TWC application ratio of 20% reduced concentrations of the most HMs in the two vegetable species seedlings due to high EC and pH levels. The amounts of HMs in vegetable species were not high, which proves the that transfer of HMs from the TWC substrate to the seedlings is determined chiefly by metal bioavailability and by a vegetable species. DM, mineral and nutritional quality of vegetable seedlings showed that substrates containing 5% and 10% TWC appeared to be the most suitable growing medium for economic vegetable seedlings; and it is recommended for use in the nursery production. Implications: The idea of this research revolves around the use of different proportions of tomato waste compost in fertilizing cucumber and summer squash seedlings and investigate the effect of this compost on dry matter (DM) and heavy metal (HMs) contents in the root and leaf tissues of the seedlings, and fruit quality of cucumber and summer squash plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vittatalactone, the aggregation pheromone of the striped cucumber beetle, Acalymma vittatum (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is attractive to two species of squash bugs (Hemiptera: Coreidae), the squash bug Anasa tristis (DeGeer) and horned squash bug Anasa armigera (Say). In field trapping experiments in Maryland and Virginia, clear sticky traps baited with 1 mg of a synthetic 8-isomer mix of vittatalactone captured ∼9× more of female A. tristis and of both sexes of A. armigera, whereas male A. tristis were not significantly attracted, compared to unbaited traps. A. armigera showed a distinct dose–response to vittatalactone lure loading in the late season, and this species was more attracted than A. tristis, based on comparison to captures from underneath wooden boards emplaced in adjacent fields. Results suggest that vittatalactone could be a 'keystone semiochemical' in colonization of cucurbit hosts by specialist herbivores, and may offer the opportunity for multi-species behavioral control as a component of integrated pest management in cucurbit crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Cucurbits are economically important crops and very susceptible to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.; RKN) in Florida. A series of glasshouse and field trials were conducted to evaluate the susceptibility and host potential of different cucurbit crops to different RKN species. We tested the sensitivity of six cucurbit crops (squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, watermelon, smooth and angled luffa) that are commonly grown in Florida to some of the major RKN species, Meloidogyne enterolobii , M. floridensis , M. hapla , M. incognita and M. javanica under glasshouse conditions. In addition, cucumber, squash and zucchini were also tested in two field trials. Meloidogyne incognita was more damaging to all six tested cucurbit crops than M. javanica and M. floridensis in terms of gall index, eggs (root system)−1, eggs (g root)−1 and reproduction factor. In another experiment, the same cucurbit crops suffered greater damage and allowed higher reproduction of M. enterolobii as compared to M. javanica. Meloidogyne hapla caused little damage to all six cucurbit crops and had low reproduction rates, with highest root gall ratings and reproduction for cucumber and cantaloupe, and lowest for watermelon and squash. Meloidogyne enterolobii , M. floridensis , M. incognita and M. javanica caused higher root gall ratings on cucumber and watermelon than on squash, cantaloupe and luffa. This was also noted in the field trials, where cucumber had consistently higher gall indices than squash and zucchini. Root-knot nematode reproduction rates were the highest on squash and cucumber, especially with M. incognita and M. enterolobii. While all cucurbits were good hosts for all tested RKN species, significant differences were noted among cucurbit crops and RKN species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parasitoid foraging behavior is affected by habitat and host plant differences. Egg parasitoids also use a combination of oviposition-induced and host-derived cues to find host eggs. This study compared parasitism by Hadronotus pennsylvanicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) on two squash bug species, Anasa tristis (DeGeer) and Anasa armigera Say (Hemiptera: Coreidae), by placing sentinel squash and cucumber plants with egg masses of either of the two squash bug species in squash and cucumber fields in a 3-way factorial design. Host density of wild A. tristis egg masses in squash fields may have influenced parasitoid foraging behavior on sentinel plants. In the 3-way factorial design, parasitism was higher on sentinel squash plants and in squash fields overall. However, parasitism on A. armigera egg masses was highest on sentinel cucumber plants in squash fields and parasitism on A. tristis egg masses was higher on sentinel squash plants in either squash or cucumber fields and lowest on sentinel cucumber plants in cucumber fields. Results suggest that parasitoids were able to specifically orient to the combination of host plant and host cues associated with A. tristis egg masses on sentinel squash plants, but that they were more responsive to plant-induced cues associated with cucumber when searching for A. armigera egg masses. Parasitoids appear to utilize different combinations of host plant and host cues when searching for eggs of the two squash bug species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High bicarbonate (HCO3-) content and associated high pH of irrigation water are detrimental to plant nutrient absorption. This experiment was arranged as a factorial in the framework of a completely randomized design with two factors, rootstock (ungrafted cucumber, Cucurbita moschata, and Cucurbita maxima) and bicarbonate (10 mM NaHCO3 or AS and 10 mM NaCl or SS). Regardless of rootstock, bicarbonate increased the pH of nutrient solution in all treatments. Under NaHCO3 treatment, the uptake and leaf concentration of K and Fe, and Mn uptake were not affected in plants grafted onto C. moschata rootstocks, whereas a significant decrease of them recorded in the control plants. Although the effect of alkalinity and rootstocks on Mg concentration was not significant, the highest Mg uptake observed in plants grafted onto C. moschata rootstocks. It is concluded that using C. moschata rootstock could reduce the deleterious effects of alkalinity stress on nutrient uptake by cucumber plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) is one of the most commonly cultivated crops in Turkey. In recent years, with the decrease in rainfall and the increase in irrigation costs, there has been an increased interest in edible seed squash cultivation in Turkey, since it can be grown well in arid environments. Virus diseases are the most common problem limiting edible seed squash cultivation in Turkey. During 2017–2019, 625 symptomatic edible seed squash leaves were collected from the fields for detection of pathogenic viruses, including watermelon mosaic potyvirus (WMV), Zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus (ZYMV), cucurbit aphid-borne yellows polerovirus (CABYV), squash mosaic comovirus (SqMV), cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV), and papaya ringspot potyvirus watermelon strain (PRSV-W) using DAS-ELISA and RT-PCR methods. The calculated relative incidence of viruses infecting plant samples was found to be 88.32%. WMV, ZYMV, and CABYV were identified as the most prevalent viruses with the relative incidences of 56.96, 56, and 20.16%, respectively. CMV (1.12%), PRSV-W (0.48%), and SqMV (0.32%) were the least commonly detected viruses in samples. The 24 selected isolates of CMV (2), WMV (12), ZYMV (6), and CABYV (4) were sequenced and deposited in the GenBank database. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that Turkish isolates of these viruses belong to the same clusters in phylogenetic trees and generally showed high similarities to the isolates of neighboring countries. Moreover, except for the CABYV isolates, the sequence diversity among the isolates was generally very low. It is thought that the knowledge gained from observations of this study will be useful to beneficiaries as it provides a basis for further research into the breeding programs of squash varieties resistant to virus diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peat-moss (Sphagnum spp.), is currently an expensive material and a nonrenewable resource with variable properties. Therefore, its use should be gradually reduced. Hence, there are numerous attempts aiming to reduce the use of peat-moss as a bulk substrate and to search for high-quality, locally available and low-cost alternatives to peat-moss. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of partial replacing of peat-moss with tomato waste compost (TWC) on plant growth, productivity, fruit quality, and morphological features of two types of economic cucurbits species under greenhouse conditions. The plants were planted into pots containing different proportions of TWC (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 30%) with peat-moss, sand and clay as growing substrates. The results indicated that the plant height and the leaves number of both plants were significantly influenced by different substrate treatments. TWC ratios of 15% and 20% increased the amount of cucumber and summer squash fruit yield more than the commercial peat media but they had insignificant differences. Also, they were significantly improved fruit quality characteristics, particularly total soluble solid (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) of crop fruits more than commercial peat-moss treatment. Implications: Because of the high price of peat-moss and that it is a non-renewable material, farmers resorted to using other alternatives, including green residue compost. Thus, the aim of this work is to reduce the use of peat-moss by replacing it with the use of lokw percentages of TWC. When tomato plant residues return to the soil by converting them into compost, this is a valuable agricultural practice to improve soil fertility and increase the organic matter of the soil as well as increase the source of nitrogen (N) that supports the growth of beneficial microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae family) consist of 119 genera and 825 species and are cultivated worldwide, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. In the world, squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb) Matsum&Nakai), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and melon (C. melo L.) are the most cultivated cucurbit species as vegetable crops. Squash is grown for fresh consuming, as well as its seeds are used like a snack in Turkey. Viruses are one of the most destructive pathogen groups on squash which is grown for seeds in Yozgat province. In this study, it was aimed to determine the virus infections in economically important squash planting fields in the province. Totally 140 plant samples which show widespread virus symptoms such as mottling, shoe-string, mosaic, stunting, curling, vine decline, distortion, and blistering were collected from plants in 2017. In this study, DAS-ELISA method is used for identifying the virus infections on the plant samples. According to the results of the DAS-ELISA 84.28 % of plant samples were infected with Cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV), Watermelon mosaic potyvirus (WMV), Papaya ring spot potyvirus-watermelon strain (PRSV-W), Zucchini yellow mosaic potyvirus (ZYMV), and Squash mosaic comovirus (SqMV). The prevalent virus was WMV with the ratio of 57.85 %. It was followed by ZYMV which was detected on the samples at the ratio of 53.57 %. Besides, double and multiple virus infections were determined commonly in the samples. Especially, ZYMV+WMV mixed infections were common. The infection of Cucumber green mottle mosaic tobamovirus (CGMMV) wasn't determined in the survey area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed analytical method reports the separation and quantification of 21 amino acids including L-citrulline from fresh vegetables and commercial juices using a C8 column. Optimal separation conditions for amino acids analysis were obtained with 20 mM sodium acetate (solvent A) and water with organic modifier acetonitrile and methanol (solvent B; 18/50/32 V/V). The ideal pH and column temperature were found to be 5.40 and 35 °C, respectively. The LOD and LOQ values were obtained in the range of 0.02-0.19 ng/mL and 0.04-0.39 ng/mL for all amino acids respectively. Relative standard deviations (RSD) of intraday and interday analysis were found to be <2.7% and 7.9%, respectively. The recovery of amino acids were found be satisfactory for all the tested crops. The developed method was successfully used for the quantification of amino acids in six fresh vegetable juices including watermelon, cucumber, celery, calabaza squash, zucchini squash, yellow squash and commercial juices. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the significant differences in the amino acids profiles. L-citrulline content was highest in fresh watermelon juice (716.57 ± 24.80 mg/mL) and commercial watermelon lime juice (826.48 ± 34.48 µg/mL). The optimized analytical method is rapid, sensitive, accurate and reproducible for analysis of free amino acids including L-citrulline from different vegetable juices and other food products. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to separate OPA derivatives of amino acids using C8 column from watermelon, cucumber, zucchini squash, yellow squash, calabaza squash, and celery in a HPLC-FLD system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Viral diseases are very destructive especially on squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) which is grown for seeds in Karaman province. In this study, it's aimed to determine the virus infections in major cucurbit growing areas of Karaman province. Totally 135 plant samples which showed the most common virus symptoms like mosaic, curling, blistering, mottling, distortion, shoestring, stunting and vine decline were collected from squash, zucchini, melon, watermelon, cucumber and pumpkin plants during 2009 and 2010 years. The viruses were identified by DAS-ELISA. The results showed that 83 % of plant samples were infected with Zucchini yellow mosaic Potyvirus (ZYMV), Watermelon mosaic Potyvirus-2 (WMV-2), Cucumber mosaic Cucumovirus (CMV), Papaya ringspot Potyvirus-watermelon strain (PRSV-W) and Squash mosaic Comovirus (SqMV). ZYMV was the most prevalent virus in the infected cucurbit plants with the ratio of 53.4 % and occurred in squash, pumpkin, watermelon, melon and cucumber samples. WMV-2 was detected in squash (50 %), melon (43.1 %), cucumber (12.1 %) and watermelon (5.2 %). Also mixed infections were observed in squash, melon and cucumber more frequently than others. Cucumber green mottle mosaic Tobamovirus (CGMMV) was not present in the research area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perimeter trap cropping (PTC) is a method of integrated pest management (IPM) in which the main crop is surrounded with a perimeter trap crop that is more attractive to pests. Blue Hubbard (Cucurbita maxima Duch.) is a highly effective trap crop for butternut squash (C, nwschata Duch. ex Poir) attacked by striped cucumber beetles (Acalymma vittaturn Fabricius), but its limited marketability may reduce adoption of PTC by growers. Research comparing border crop varieties is necessary to provide options for growers. Furthermore, pollinators are critical for cucurbit yield, arid the effect of PTC on pollination to main crops is unknown. We examined the effect of five border treatments on herbivory, pollination, and yield in butternut squash and manipulated herbivoty and pollination to compare their importance for main crop yield. Blue Hubbard, buttercup squash (C. maxima Duch.), and zucchini (C. pepo L.) were equally attractive to cucumber beetles. Border treatments did not affect butternut leaf damage, but butternut flowers had the fewest beetles when surrounded by Blue Hubbard or buttercup squash. Yield was highest in the Blue Hubbard and buttercup treatments, but this effect was not statistically significant. Native bees accounted for 87% of pollinator visits, and pollination did not limit yield. There was no evidence that border crops competed with the main crop for pollinators. Our results suiggest that both buttercup squash and zucchini may be viable alternatives to Blue Hubbard as bordeis for the main crop of buttern Ut squash. Thus, growers may have multiple border options that reduce pesticide use, effectively manage pests, and do not disturb mutualist interactions with pollinators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]