FIELD PERFORMANCE COMPARISON OF 2 TRANSGENIC SUMMER SQUASH HYBRIDS TOTHEIR PARENTAL HYBRID LINE

'Pavo', a commercially grown, virus-susceptible squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) hybrid, and two experimental virus-resistant transgenic squash hy brids, XPH-1719 and XPH-1739, were tested for field performance, The t wo transgenic squash hybrids possess the desired fruit and plant chara cteristics of their parental line, 'Pavo', plus resistance to zucchini yellow mosaic virus and watermelon mosaic virus 2 (XPH-1719), and res istance to zucchini yellow mosaic virus, watermelon mosaic virus 2, an d cucumber mosaic virus (XPH-1739). Percent emergence and days to flow ering were similar among the three hybrids. XPH-1719 and XPH-1739 were equally effective in producing a high percentage of quality marketabl e fruit and yields with 90% and 13,800 kg . ha(-1) and 87% and 16,500 kg . ha(-1), respectively, XPH-1719 and XPH-1739 demonstrated their ou tstanding virus resistance over 'Pavo' by producing only 3% and 14% sy mptomatic plants, respectively, compared to 53% for 'Pavo'. They also produced the lowest percentage of infected fruit, 0% and 7%, respectiv ely, with 'Pavo' at 26%.