The genetics of fruit color in Cucurbita pepo L.

Species Cucurbita pepo L., which includes marrow, squash, hard-barked pumpkin and a number of other crops, has a high polymorphism both in plant structure and in shape, size, color of the bark and fruit pulp. The color of the bark of the fruits of this species can be white, cream, yellow, green, orange with or without a pattern. Appearance can greatly influence the marketing success of new hybrids among the target audience. This is explained by the fact that there are strong regional consumer preferences regarding the color of fruits, although most often, on the shelves of chain stores, in fresh or canned form, you can find fruits of bright, saturated colors and shades. At the same time, brightly colored fruits are more often used for canning, while light-colored ones are used for processing into caviar [1]. Paris H.S. and Brown R.N. summarized the identification of more than 80 gene loci that affect fruit color in Cucurbita pepo L., some of which are multi-allelic [2]. The color of the fruit in hard-barked pumpkin depends on the presence and interaction between the loci responsible for this trait, and many other factors, including growing conditions [3,4]. In cucurbits, in different phenophases, different genes are responsible for color [5–7]. All this makes the selection of summer squash and scallop on the basis of the color of the fruit bark very difficult. Knowing the genetics of coloration can make this task easier. In this article, we tried to summarize the results of studies presented in foreign literature sources on the study of Cucurbita pepo L. genes responsible for the color of the surface of the fruit and pulp, its intensity, the presence or absence of a pattern of various colors and configurations. No domestic studies on this topic could be found.