Cucurbit diversity in Bad Füssing, Germany. Photo: L. Maggioni

Chair

Maria Raffaella Ercolano
ercolano@unina.it
Confirmed as Chair for Phase X in March 2019

Grant Scheme Activities

Working Group activities and related events

June 2024
The XIII EUCARPIA Meeting on Cucurbit Genetics and Breeding will be held from 3 to 6 November 2024 in Vico Equense, Naples, Italy. The meeting is organized by University of Naples Federico II (UNINA) in collaboration with Consiglio per la ricerca in agricoltura e l'analisi dell'economia agraria (CREA), the University of Bari Aldo Moro (UNIBA) and the University of Catania (UNICT).
The meeting will provide a valuable forum for sharing ideas on recent research advancements, strengthening relationships and building up networks among researchers and breeders interested in cucurbit genetics and breeding. Fore more information, visit https://eucarpiacucurbits2024.org/ 

March 2024
The final report for the Cucurbitlocal Activity is available [here].

2023
A paper on Cucurbitlocal was published in USDA's Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report:
Chikh-Rouhou H, Lohwasser U, Pico-Sirvent B, León AF, García-Martínez S, Guadagno A, Amoroso C, Ercolano M. 2023. Cucurbitlocal – A collaborative initiative to strengthen valorization of Cucurbita local germplasm for sustainable agriculture. Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative Report 46: 33-34. url: https://cucurbit.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/CGC46_completereport.pdf

October 2021
The second meeting on "Exploitation of Cucurbita local germplasm for sustainable agriculture (Cucurbitlocal)" project was held online on Thursday, 28 October [more info]

February 2021
The first meeting on "Exploitation of Cucurbita local germplasm for sustainable agriculture (Cucurbitlocal)" project was held online on Friday, 26 February [more info]

December 2020
The project on "Exploitation of Cucurbita local germplasm for sustainable agriculture (Cucurbitlocal)", submitted by the Cucurbits Working Group for funding under the Fourth Call of the ECPGR Activity Grant Scheme for Phase X, was selected by the Executive Committee [more info]

April 2020
New homepage for the Cucurbits Database 
This database was formerly maintained at COMAV, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain, and was transferred to Mara Ercolano, Chair of the Cucurbits Working Group, with the aim of integrating the data into EURISCO. This requires action from the respective National Focal Points and has not been achieved yet. In order to make all data available to users, a new homepage to host the portion of the database which is not yet included in EURISCO has been provided on the ECPGR website: Cucurbits Database  

April 2015
The Cucurbits Working Group agreed on their crop-specific standards for orthodox seeds (see here)

April 2013
Ad hoc meeting of the Chairs, Vice-Chairs and Database Managers of the ECPGR Solanaceae and Cucurbits Working Groups, 11-12 April 2013, Valencia, Spain [report] (126,5 KB)

Previous years [link to ECPGR archive]

Working Group operative documents

Background information

In May 2000, in Vila Real, Portugal, the ECPGR Vegetables Network Coordinating Group recommended also extending collaborative activities to Solanaceae, Cucurbits and Leafy Vegetables and included these crops within the Network's mandate.
An Informal Cucurbits Working Group was formed to start collaboration on genetic resources of some Cucurbitaceae species, mainly cucumber, melons, watermelon, gourds, pumpkin, zucchini and other minor cultivated and wild Cucurbits. The proposal to establish a formal ECPGR Working Group on Cucurbits was approved by the ECPGR Steering Committee in October 2003.