Insects important on cucurbits
include aphids, pickle worms, cut-
worms, mole crickets, and rind-
worms. Some of the short-term
goals in this area are:
A. Fusarium wilt
 1. Evaluate methods of con-
 trol for effectiveness and
 cost.
 2. Develop biological control
 methods or options in-
 cluding genetic resistance,
 competitive soil orga-
 nisms, mulches, and crop
 rotation.
 B. Watermelon mosaic virus
 1. Epidemiological studies on
 the virus including trans-
 mission and virus reser-
 voirs in the wild host plants
 is ongoing.
 2. Use of repelling oils is being
 studied.
 3. Genetic resistance is avail-
 able for watermelon,
 muskmelon, and squash.
 Inheritance studies are
 needed as are studies on
 the mechanisms) of re-
 sistance.
 C. Mildews and gummy stem
 blight
 1. Evaluation of new chemical
 control materials and meth-
 ods. The work involves
 evaluation of materials and
 residue studies as needed.
 2. Incorporation of disease and
 insect resistance from resist-
 ant plants of the same spe-
 cies or closely related species.


 Since viable seeds are not
 always produced from these
 latter crosses, this work
 might involve genetic engi-
 neering and ovule or em-
 bryo culture techniques.
 Cultural Practices. A final long-
term goal is the development of cul-
tural practices for cucurbits which
conserve fertilizer and water and
maximize yield.

 PRIORITY
 RESEARCH
 PROGRAM AREAS
 Of those program areas discussed
above, those that will receive spe-
cial emphasis in the 1980's include
the following:
 1. Grape breeding and cul-
 tivar development
 2. Cucurbit breeding pro-
 grams
 3. Pierce's disease/Citrus
 Blight studies
 4. Control of Fusarium wilt
 of watermelon

 RESEARCH THEME
 FOR THE 1980's
 The research program for the
 1980's will be involved with in-
 creasing the efficiency of Florida's
 agriculture, especially in the fruit
 and vegetable crop areas mentioned
 previously, to insure that Florida will
 remain competitive with other geo-
 graphic areas.
 Agriculture in Florida is energy
intensive; crops produced in Florida


require more fertilizer, water, and
pesticide than crops grown in most
other areas of the United States. If
Florida is to remain competitive
while energy resources are shrinking
and costs are escalating, the most
efficient means of food production,
processing, and handling must be
determined and utilized. The en-
ergy components of production sys-
tems will be of primary concern when
research is planned, conducted, and
evaluated.
 Agriculture in Florida will con-
tinue to be diversified and perhaps
even more so. Inhibitory transpor-
tation costs will provide impetus for
production of crops not currently
under cultivation in the state. The
varied expertise of the faculty at
Leesburg makes possible a systems
approach to problem solving. An
integrated crop (pest) management
approach will be used in studying
efficiency of production of both
grapes and cucurbits.


I