WARF TECHNOLOGIES

In the mid-1990s the UW began a program for developing seedless cucumber hybrids. The base populations for this program were a Gynoecious Synthetic population and a Hardwickii Semi-Exotic population resulting from research efforts to increase fruit number per plant and strengthen the gynoecious character (production of a large number of female flowers and a fairly concentrated flowering time) in pickling cucumber. The program was unique, and the resulting inbreds and hybrids had strong gynoecious expression and higher fruit number per plant when compared to standard seeded inbreds or hybrids. 

UW-Madison researchers have developed breeding lines of a set of new seedless pickling cucumbers that can be grown outdoors or in enclosures. The program is a series of 10 families of gynoecious, parthenocarpic (seedless), cucumber inbreds. Collectively, the lines are referred to as the UW NEW 2018 parthenocarpic cucumber breeding program. The families have varying disease resistances, but most have field resistance to scab, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), anthracnose, angular leaf spot, downy mildew and powdery mildew. Some families are segregating for resistance to the above-listed diseases and also carry resistance to cucumber veinal yellowing virus (CVYV) and zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZMYV). The US pickling cucumber families have varying degrees of resistance to all eight diseases noted above.

• These are new seedless, cucumber lines that could provide valuable, commercial pickling cucumbers.

• Theses seedless pickling cucumbers appear to have better disease resistance than previous lines
• Assortment of disease-resistant plant types can be adaptable to nearly any growing conditions for cucumber culture

The lines have undergone some initial testing and characterizing.

Tech Fields

• Animals, Agriculture & Food : Plant varieties