Characterization and inheritance of a bush-type in tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne)

A bush-type plant was selected from tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) in order to study and compare the bush and vine habit of C. moschata in terms of various vegetative and reproductive characteristics. The bush plants were characterized by short internode and early days to anthesis, while the vine plants possessed more male flowers than the bush plants. Moreover, genetic analysis indicated that the bush plants have a monogenic inheritance, in which the bush genotype is dominant (Bu) to the vine genotype (bu). The measurement of hypocotyl growth and microscopic observation revealed that this bushy appearance is the result of cell elongation inhibition. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.