RESCUE OF Cucurbita spp. GERMPLASM IN RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

ABSTRACT: In order to rescue Cucurbita spp. germplasm from family farming in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, to quantify the phenotypic variability and identify the main species grown, 17 expeditions were organised to collect accessions in the municipalities of Baraúna, Rio do Fogo and Touros (major fruit suppliers to the state trade) and in eight more municipalities in different regions of the state (Apodi, Caraúbas, Ceará Mirim, Cerro Corá, Currais Novos, João Câmara, Lagoa Nova and Macaíba). Each collected accession consisted of a fruit or about 20 seeds provided directly by the farmer. All accessions were identified according to botanical species, and packaging procedures, identification and seed storage in the cold for preservation were performed. A sample of collected accessions, consisting of fruit and a small number of accessions obtained as C. moschata seeds, was multiplied using self-fertilisation of plants. Plants and fruits were characterised preliminarily with the aid of morphological descriptors. Accessions were rescued in all visited municipalities - 112 of C. moschata and 50 of C. maxima. There was a predominance of C. moschata species cultivation, and great variability was found in various plant and fruit descriptors in the accessions characterised.摘要：为保育北里奥格兰德州（Rio Grande do Norte）家庭农场中的南瓜属（Cucurbita）种质资源，量化其表型变异程度并明确当地主栽物种，研究团队组织17次采集行动，在巴劳纳（Baraúna）、里约杜福戈（Rio do Fogo）与图罗斯（Touros）——该州果蔬贸易的核心供货市镇——以及该州不同区域的另外8个市镇（阿波迪Apodi、卡拉乌巴斯Caraúbas、塞阿拉米林Ceará Mirim、塞罗科拉Cerro Corá、库赖斯诺沃斯Currais Novos、若昂卡马拉João Câmara、拉戈阿诺瓦Lagoa Nova、马卡伊巴Macaíba）开展种质采集。每份采集的种质份均包含1个果实，或由农户直接提供的约20粒种子。所有种质份均依据植物学物种完成鉴定，并完成包装流程、标识登记与低温冷藏保藏种子的操作。选取包含果实的采集种质份以及少量以中国南瓜（C. moschata）种子形式获取的种质份，通过植株自交完成扩繁。借助形态学描述符对植株与果实开展初步表型鉴定。所有受访市镇均成功回收种质资源：其中中国南瓜（C. moschata）112份，印度南瓜（C. maxima）50份。当地种植以中国南瓜为主，且在已完成鉴定的种质份中，植株与果实的多项形态学描述符均表现出丰富的表型变异。