Reaction of Cucurbit Species to Squash Leaf Curl Virus and Sweetpotato Whitefly

Abstract

Squash leaf curl (SLC) is a virus disease of squash transmitted by the sweetpotato whitefly [Bernisia tabaci (Germ.)]. 'Cucurbita maxima Duch. ex Lam., C. mixta Pang, and C. pepo L. cultivars and the wild taxon. C. texana Gray exhibited severe symptoms in response to SLC in greenhouse and field tests. Symptoms on C. moschata (Duch.) Duch. ex Poir. cultivars were much more severe in greenhouse tests than in field tests. Three wild species, C. ecuadorensis Cutler and Whitaker, C. lundelliana Bailey, and C. martinezii Bailey, were virtually immune in greenhouse tests, but were infected in field tests. Cucurbita foetidissima HBK expressed moderate symptoms in a field test. Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn., C. ficifolia Bouche, Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl., Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb., Luffs aegyptiaca Mill., and Luffs graveolens Roxb. were resistant to SLC in greenhouse and field tests.