Field Performance Comparison of Two Transgenic Summer Squash Hybrids to Their Parental Hybrid Line

Abstract

`Pavo', a commercially grown, virus-susceptible squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) hybrid, and two experimental virus-resistant transgenic squash hybrids, XPH-1719 and XPH-1739, were tested for field performance. The two transgenic squash hybrids possess the desired fruit and plant characteristics of their parental line, `Pavo', plus resistance to zucchini yellow mosaic virus and watermelon mosaic virus 2 (XPH-1719), and resistance to zucchini yellow mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus 2, and cucumber mosaic virus (XPH-1739). Percent emergence and days to flowering were similar among the three hybrids. XPH-1719 and XPH-1739 were equally effective in producing a high percentage of quality marketable fruit and yields with 90% and 13,800 kg·ha–1 and 87% and 16,500 kg·ha–1, respectively. XPH-1719 and XPH-1739 demonstrated their outstanding virus resistance over `Pavo' by producing only 3% and 14% symptomatic plants, respectively, compared to 53% for `Pavo'. They also produced the lowest percentage of infected fruit, 0% and 7%, respectively, with `Pavo' at 26%.