Investigations by N.I. Vavilov and his influence on the promotion of introduction, collection study and breeding of cucurbitaceous crops

Nikolai I. Vavilov, an outstanding scientist and leader of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry, has played a significant role in the development of studies of the global collection of cucurbitaceous crops, their introduction and practical use. Such classical treatises by Vavilov as the Field Crops of the South-East; The Law of Homologous Series in Hereditary Variation; Intergeneric Hybrids of Melons, Watermelons and Squashes; and Selection as a Science, had a special importance for the study and use of genetic resources in breeding. Vavilov’s works have promoted the research on cucurbitaceous crops by such VIR scientists as K. I. Pangalo, N. E. Zhiteneva, M. K. Goldgausen, V. V. Arasimovich, A. I. Filov, T. B. Fursa, M. I. Malinina and the others. The comprehensive studies of the cucurbit collection have resulted in the development of taxonomy of different species, theoretical and practical bases of breeding, as well as in the identification of valuable accessions for the use in breeding. The versatile evaluation of the cucurbit collection and its use in targeted breeding programs at the Kuban Experiment Station of VIR have resulted in the creation of numerous cultivars of cucurbitaceous crops which are currently cultivated in this country.

1. Bordakov L. P. (1930) The chief varieties of watermelon in Ukraine and their distribution. Bulletin of applied bota­ ny, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 85–94 [in Russian]

2. Dyutin K. E. (2000) Genetics and breeding of the cucurbitaceous crops (Genetika i selektsiya bakhchevykh kultur). Moscow. 231 p. [in Russian]

3. Editors. (1930) About the Editors (Ot redakcii). Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 5 [in Russian]

4. Editors. (1930) Charles Naudin (Sharl’ Noden). Bulletin of ap­ plied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 1–3 [in Russian]

5. Fursa T. B. (1990) Genetics of watermelon (Genetika arbuza). In: Genetics of cultivated plants: grain legumes, vegetables, cucurbitaceous crops (Genetika kulturnykh rasteniy: zernobobovye, ovoshchnye, bakhchevye). Leningrad. p. 266–282. [in Russian]

6. Fursa T. B., Filov A. I. (1982) Cucurbitaceae (watermelon, pumpkin) (Tykvennye (arbuz, tykva). Vol. 21. Moscow: Kolos. 280 p. [in Russian]

7. Fursa T. B., Malinina M. I., Artjugina Z. D. (1985) Guidelines for approbation of cucurbitaceous crops (reference book) (Rukovodstvo po aprobatsii bakhchevykh kul’tur (spravochnoye posobie). Moscow. 182 p. [in Russian]

8. Kobjakova J. A. (1930) The bottle gourd. (Lagenaria vulgar­ is Ser. — a relict crop). Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant­breeding 23 (3): 475–520 [in Russian]

9. Kobjakova J. A. (1930) The culture of Luffa. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 533–544 [in Russian]

10. Kovalevsky G. V. (1930) The history of cultivation of watermelon and melon in European USSR. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 329–342 [in Russian]

11. Pangalo K. I. (1925) Turkestan melons. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 14 (2): 37–70 [in Russian]

12. Pangalo K. I. (1930a) A new species of cultivated pumpkins. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 253–265 [in Russian]

13. Pangalo K. I. (1930b) Cantaloupe melons and their history. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 209–228 [in Russian]

14. Pangalo K. I. (1930c) Chinese melons. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 545–560 [in Russian]

15. Pangalo K. I. (1930d) Field-melon in USSR and the world’s assortment of melon cultures. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 7–18 [in Russian]

16. Pangalo K. I. (1930e) Varieties of Russian melons. Bulletin of ap­ plied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 19–40 [in Russian]

17. Pangalo K. I. (1930f) Watermelon of the northern hemisphere. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 41–84 [in Russian]

18. Pangalo K. I. (1937) Breeding of melon cultures. In: Theoretical bases of plants breeding. Moscow; Leningrad. 3: 135–194 [in Russian]

19. Pangalo K. I. (1958) Muskmelons. Kichinev: Moldgiz. 298 p. [in Russian]

20. Scientific heritage. Vol. 5. Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov. Vavilov’s letters 1911–1928 (1980) (Nauchnoe nasledstvo. Tom 5. Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov. Iz epistolyarnogo nasledia). Moscow: Nauka. 428 p. [in Russian]

21. Scientific heritage. Vol. 5. Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov. Vavilov’s letters 1929–1940 (1980) (Nauchnoe nasledstvo. Tom 5. Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov. Iz epistolyarnogo nasledia 1929–1940). Moscow; Nauka. 496 p. [in Russian]

22. Vavilov N. I. (1960) Botanical and geographical bases of breeding (The concept of initial material and breeding). In: Selected works. 2: 21–70 [in Russian]

23. Vavilov N. I. (1960) Cucurbitaceous crops. In: Selected works. 2: 292–329 [in Russian]

24. Vavilov N. I. (1922) Field crops of South-Eastern European Russia. Petrograd. 228 p.

25. Vavilov N. I. (1960) Field crops of the South-East European Russia. In: Selected works. 2: 183–340 [in Russian]

26. Vavilov N. I. (1925) Inter-generic hybrids of melons, watermelons, and squashes: (a contribution to the problem of overlapping of specific and generic characters in systematics). Bulletin of Applied Botany and Plant-Breeding 14 (2): 3–35 [in Russian]

27. Vavilov N. I. (1960) Intergeneric hybrids of melons, watermelons and squashes. In: Selected works. 2: 461–481 [in Russian]

28. Vavilov N. I. (1960) Selection as a science. In: Selected works. 2: 9–20 [in Russian]

29. Vavilov N. I. (1920) The law of homologous series in variation (Zakon gomologicheskih rjadov v nasledstvennoj izmenchivosti). Saratov. 16 p. [in Russian]

30. Vavilov N. I. (1967) The law of homologous series in variation. Linnaean species as a system. 92 p. [in Russian]

31. Vavilov N. I. (1987) Theoretical bases of plant breeding. Moscow: Nauka. 512 p. [in Russian]

32. Zhiteneva N. E. (1930) The world’s assortment of cultivated pumpkins. Bulletin of applied botany, of genetics and plant-breeding 23 (3): 157–207 [in Russian]