Screening of Cucurbits Germplasm for Antixenosis Basis of Resistance against Fruit Flies, Bactrocera spp. (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract

Varietal screening of cucurbit germplasm for their relative resistance/ susceptibility against fruit flies, Bactrocera spp. infestation was done at field trial laid under All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Vegetables in the Vegetable Experimental Farm, Faculty of Horticulture, SKUAST-K, Shalimar during kharif season, 2021 in different cucurbit crops i.e. Bottle gourd, Bitter gourd, Ridge gourd, Muskmelon and Cucumber. Various antixenotic traits including pubescence on fruit, fruit shape, color of fruits, rind thickness, flesh thickness, fruit toughness, fruit length and diameter, depth and number of ribs were studied on fifty-four varieties/genotypes of different cucurbit crops to assess their relative resistance/susceptibility to fruit flies. The cucurbit genotypes with maximum rind thickness, Pubescence, fruit toughness had least fruit flies infestation; and had significant influence in imparting resistance against fruit flies; however, shape, size and color of the cucurbit fruits were not of much significance in conferring resistance to fruit flies infestation.