广东蜜本型南瓜新品种的选育及产业化

　　Breeding and Industrialization Applications of Guangdong 'Miben' Type Pumpkin Cultivars

　　(The Second Prize of Guangdong Science and Technology Award in 2021)

　　Pumpkin is a common vegetable as well as a grain crop in China. To solve the problems of insufficient excellent cultivars, poor adaptability, low planting mechanization, and processing automation in the pumpkin industry, our research group widely collects and innovates pumpkin germplasms. Currently, there are 900 pumpkin germplasms preserved at the Guangdong Vegetable Germplasm Bank. Using hybrid cross technology, molecular marker auxiliary breeding, and quality identification technology, we created 230 germplasms with different innovative fruit types, ripening, photoperiod sensitivity, flavor, and nutritional quality and established the important flavor and nutrition quality evaluation technology system for pumpkins. Moreover, in combination with multiple omics, we conducted molecular genetics and metabolic research on wide adaption, quality, and yield traits evaluation of pumpkins. We also established efficient molecular marker-assisted breeding technology which was directly used for quality and photoperiod sensitivity trait improvement. Using the efficient breeding technology, we created a new type of pumpkin, 'Miben' type pumpkin, and China's first hybrid pumpkin cultivar 'Baishamiben'. Another representative cultivar 'Guangmi No.1' with strong photoperiod insensitivity was developed and can be directly planted in the north of the Yellow River. The successful breeding of this cultivar has realized the whole industrial chain of large-scale production and processing of pumpkins, which plays an important role in promoting the development of the pumpkin industry in China.

　　At the same time, we have provided an overall solution to improve quality and efficiency in the whole pumpkin industry chain including seed production enhancing technology for 'Miben' type cultivars and seed purity molecular identification method, formulated 'Miben' type green production standards, and strengthened industry-university-research cooperation through establishing demonstration bases for new cultivars and new technologies and providing technical training. In addition, pumpkin processing technology for 'Miben' type fruit and the related equipment has been developed, realizing the automatic processing of 'Miben' type pumpkin and the whole industry chain coverage. The overall technology of this research has reached the international leading level. Up till now, this research has produced 5 new plant cultivar rights, 11 provincial approvals and identifications, 15 authorized patents, 1 local standard, and 45 related research articles, including 7 SCI articles. The total planting area of cultivated 'Miben' type and its derivative cultivars was 14,4553 million mu (about 963,686 hectares) in 24 provinces and even Southeast Asian countries. Meanwhile, pumpkin processing has driven the development of processing enterprises and produced significant economic and social benefits.