Delicata and Acorn Winter Squash

Why is NOVIC breeding delicata and acorn winter squash?

Many growers have requested better short season winter squash. Delicata and acorn squash (Cucurbita pepo) are shorter season than butternut (Cucurbita moschata) but don't store as well due to limited carbohydrate reserves, which affects tradeoffs between sweetness and texture. There is a need for genetic improvement and curing and storage recommendations.  

What is the breeding plan?

1) Trialing existing delicata and acorn squash  

Through trials across the Northern US, we seek to determine which acorn and delicata squash varieties excel in organic systems based on trait preferences of organic growers and consumers.  We will also evaluate the post-harvest quality and longevity of acorn and delicata squash and thus help with breeding occurring to improve market extension. 
 
2) Breeding for high quality traits and resistance to diseases that affect storage and quality 
We propose to breed high-quality, disease-resistant delicata and acorn squash that are adapted to organic conditions. Critical traits for these improved squash are earliness, powdery mildew resistance, yield, storage, and fruit quality. We will create breeding populations using the varieties that have the highest fruit quality (percent dry matter and percent soluble solids) in the 2015 trials. We will pursue recurrent selection in addition to the complementary pedigree selection, which will more quickly stabilize improved varieties.  

Which varieties are included in the trials?

Listed below are winter squash varieties tested in years 2015 and 2016 of the project. Visit the Organic Variety Trial Database to view trial results on the varieties below.