Cucurbit connection

Narinder Dhillon captured the attention of his audience. Notice the "tree of cucurbits" to his left!

Narinder Dhillon captured the attention of his audience. Notice the “tree of cucurbits” to his left!

Supornpun Srimat in Ghent at the cucurbit symposium.

Supornpun Srimat in Ghent at the cucurbit symposium.

WorldVeg Cucurbit Breeder Narinder Dhillon and Research Assistant Supornpun Srimat attended the 6th International Symposium on Cucurbits from 30 June – 4 July 2019 in Ghent, Brussels. Sponsored by the International Society for Horticultural Science, the symposium brought together 123 participants from 27 countries with expertise in breeding, production, genetic and genomic resources, and biotic and abiotic stress.

Supronpun spoke about the development of multiple virus resistant pumpkins and Narinder gave an update on WorldVeg cucurbit breeding activities. Both presentations generated good discussions during the coffee and lunch breaks. Seed industry representatives were especially interested in WorldVeg’s bilateral cucurbit projects.

A highlight of the symposium was a trip to BelOrta, Europe’s largest cooperative fruit and vegetable auction, where 1,450 producers provide an extensive selection of locally grown fruit and vegetables. BelOrta has an annual turnover of 450 million EUR, and nearly 40% of all Belgian horticultural products are traded via the auction system.

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