Vegetable grafting has been used in Israel for the last 20 years. The original and main purpose of this practice is reducing the occurrence of soil-borne diseases and pest damage. Nevertheless, the use of grafted plants has additional benefits and disadvantages compared to non-grafted plants; thus, evaluating these factors in addition to economic considerations has led to the common practices applied today. Melon grafting is used mainly for the spring planting in light of the long growing season. Grafted plants may cope better with low soil temperatures prevailing at the time of planting; they commonly produce higher yields and help to prevent soil-borne diseases that occur following fruit maturity. In the summer and fall seasons, the grafted transplants' high price and relatively low yield do not justify grafting, whereas managing soil-borne diseases effectively is accomplished using inexpensive chemical alternatives. Similarly, grafted cucumbers are used mainly for the long winter growing season. These plants can manage better with low soil and air temperatures, and may offer good protection against crown rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radices-cucumerinum. In certain cases, tolerant rootstocks provide partial protection from infection by soil-borne virus Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV). Most of the watermelons grown in Israel are grafted. The main reason for this approach is to reduce the impact of damage caused by soil-borne pathogens such as Macrophomina phaseolina or to avoid soil fatigue, which is very common in watermelon production if crop rotation is not properly used. Grafted watermelons produce higher yields but their fruit quality is often diminished. To overcome this obstacle, field trials are being carried out in order to find the best rootstock-scion combination. In certain cases, watermelon rootstocks can be used. The challenges involved with Cucurbita and watermelon rootstock breeding and its effects on fruit quality and on plant performance is discussed.

Global water scarcity necessitates the use of treated wastewater (TWW) for various purposes, including agricultural irrigation, yet this water may introduce various contaminants to the soil and crops. Therefore, application of TWW irrigation was sanctioned by barriers (drip irrigation and plastic mulch) to reduce risks to consumers; however, barriers’ effect on soil health is controversial. We hypothesized that the combination of TWW irrigation with plastic mulch barrier would alter the soil microbial community (bacteria and protists), while TWW irrigation alone would have a negligible effect. To test our hypothesis, we compared the response of soil and crop (cucumbers and melons) microbiomes to water qualities (TWW and potable water (PW) applied by drip irrigation in combination with plastic mulch during two growing seasons. The abundance, diversity, composition, and predicted functions of the water, soil, and crop microbial communities were analyzed in 230 samples, concomitant to monitoring the physicochemical parameters. TWW had significantly higher nutrients and salinity than PW but did not differ in pH. TWW-irrigated soils were significantly more saline than PW-irrigated soils, particularly under plastic cover, but all other physiochemical parameters were similar. The microbial communities significantly differed between water qualities, yet these differences did not carry to the irrigated soils or crops, regardless of the use of plastic mulch. Moreover, limited migration was detected between communities in the different matrices. Our results imply that short-term irrigation with TWW and the use of plastic mulch has negligible impact on soil and crop microbiomes.

Secondary treated wastewater (TWW) could provide a cheap and sustainable alternative to potable water (PW) irrigation and ensure food security, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. However, TWW may pose a health risk by introducing pathogens to the irrigated soil and crop, and especially to irrigated vegetables that are eaten raw. To avoid contamination, national and international authorities have mandated the use of physical barriers, such as drip irrigation and plastic mulch, to separate the irrigation water and the crops. Although the barriers are mandated, it is not clear whether they prevent contamination of crops. To evaluate the role of barriers on crop safety, cucumbers and melons were cultivated in a field irrigated with TWW or PW with the application of barriers including surface and subsurface drip irrigation and plastic mulch. Over 500 samples of water, soil and the model crops (surface and tissue) were collected during two growing seasons and used to monitor fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens using culture dependent and independent methods. The results showed that there were no statistically significant differences in both the fecal indicator and the pathogen abundance between treatments in either the soil or the crops, regardless of the water quality or barrier applied, even though TWW supported higher diversity and abundance of indicators and pathogens than PW. Moreover, the microbial communities detected in the irrigated soils and crops could not be linked to the irrigation water. The obtained results suggest that irrigation with TWW does not result in fecal pathogen contamination of the irrigated soil or crops.

Food production in areas contaminated with heavy metals is associated with health risks because of their adverse effects on food safety and marketability, and on crop growth and yield quality. The present review focuses on sources and risks of heavy metals, mainly in cultivated fields in various regions, and strategies to reduce their accumulation in horticultural crops. The following heavy metals are discussed: arsenic (As), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), strontium (Sr), tin (Sn), titanium (Ti), vanadium (V) and zinc (Zn). Heavy metal sources in the environment can originate from natural and anthropogenic activities. Their main natural enrichment in soils stems from parent-material weathering. However, in coastal areas, precipitation of sea spray may enrich soil with B. In contrast, the main anthropogenic sources of heavy metals in cultivated areas are irrigation with treated sewage water, application of residual biosolids, and atmospheric pollution. Plants absorb heavy metals predominantly through roots and, to a lesser extent, through leaves. Leaf uptake can occur through the stomata, cuticular cracks, ectodesmata, and aqueous pores. Heavy metal uptake may lead to their accumulation in vegetables and fruit trees, and their consequent introduction into the food chain, which is recognized as one of the major pathways for human exposure to them. This exposure can result in retardation, several types of cancer, kidney damage, endocrine disruption, and immunological and neurological effects. High concentrations of heavy metals can also affect the growth and yield of many crops: Zn and Cd decrease plant metabolic activity and induce oxidative damage; Cu generates oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species; Hg can induce visible injury and physiological disorders; Cr affects photosynthesis in terms of CO2 fixation, electron transport, photophosphorylation and enzyme activities; Pb induces plant abnormal morphology; Ni spoils the nutrient balance, resulting in disorders of cell membrane functions; Fe causes free radical production that irreversibly impairs cell structure and damages membranes, DNA and proteins; As causes leaf necrosis and wilting, followed by root discoloration and retardation of shoot growth. Therefore, international organizations, such as the US EPA and EU bodies, are working on regulating the maximum allowable levels of food pollutants. A number of direct (mycorrhiza, transgenic plants and grafting) approaches can be deployed to overcome problems of heavy metal contamination in horticulture.

World-wide water scarcity is urging the use of treated wastewater (TWW) for irrigation but this practice may have adverse effects on soil and crop contamination due to the introduction of potential microbial pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential health risks caused by TWW irrigation of soils differing in their texture, i.e., soil particle fractions including sand, silt and clay. We predicted that the presence of fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and pathogens would not be linked to TWW irrigation, yet their abundance would be favored by the smallest soil fraction (~2 nm, e.g., clay) as it provides the largest surface area. To test our hypotheses, culture dependent and independent techniques were used to monitor the presence, abundance and source of FIB and microbial pathogens (bacteria and protists) in water (TWW and potable water) and three irrigated soil types (clay, loam and loamy-sand) in a field study spanning two years. The results showed that FIB and pathogens' abundance were significantly different between water types, yet these differences did not carry to the irrigated soils. The abundance and presence of FIB and potential opportunistic or obligate human pathogens did not significantly differ (p > 0.05) between TWW and potable water irrigated soils. Moreover, the source of the FIB and potential pathogens could not be linked to irrigation with TWW. Yet, soil type significantly altered the potential pathogens' diversity (p < 0.05) and abundance (p < 0.05), and differences were affected by clay content, as predicted. The results gave no indication for potential adverse health effects associated with the application of TWW but demonstrated that clay has a particular stabilizing effect on the potential presence of microbial pathogens.

RNA silencing refers to diverse mechanisms that control gene expression at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels which can also be used in parasitic pathogens of plants that Broomrapes (Orobanche/Phelipanche spp.) are holoparasitic plants that subsist on the roots of a variety of agricultural crops and cause severe negative effects on the yield and yield quality of those crops. Effective methods for controlling parasitic weeds are scarce, with only a few known cases of genetic resistance. In the current study, we suggest an improved strategy for the control of parasitic weeds based on trans-specific gene-silencing of three parasite genes at once. We used two strategies to express dsRNA containing selected sequences of three Phelipanche aegyptiaca genes PaACS, PaM6PR, and PaPrx1 (pma): transient expression using Tobacco rattle virus (TRV: pma) as a virus-induced gene-silencing vector and stable expression in transgenic tomato Solanum lycopersicum (Mill.) plants harboring a hairpin construct (pBINPLUS35: pma). siRNA-mediated transgene-silencing (20-24 nt) was detected in the host plants. Our results demonstrate that the quantities of PaACS and PaM6PR transcripts from P. aegyptiaca tubercles grown on transgenic tomato or on TRV-infected Nicotiana benthamiana plants were significantly reduced. However, only partial reductions in the quantity of PaPrx1 transcripts were observed in the parasite tubercles grown on tomato and on N. benthamiana plants. Concomitant with the suppression of the target genes, there were significant decreases in the number and weight of the parasite tubercles that grew on the host plants, in both the transient and the stable experimental systems. The results of the work carried out using both strategies point to the movement of mobile exogenous siRNA from the host to the parasite, leading to the impaired expression of essential parasite target genes.

Grafting of vegetable seedlings is a unique horticultural technology practiced for many years in East Asia to overcome issues associated with intensive cultivation using limited arable land. This technology was introduced to Europe and other countries in the late 20th century along with improved grafting methods suitable for commercial production of grafted vegetable seedlings. Tomato grafting is becoming a well-developed practice worldwide with many horticultural advantages. The primary motivation for grafting tomato has been to prevent the damage caused by soilborne pathogens under intensive production system. However, recent reports suggest that grafting onto suitable rootstocks can also alleviate the adverse effects of abiotic stresses such as salinity, water, temperature, and heavy metals besides enhancing the efficiency of water and nutrient use of tomato plants. This review gives an overview of the scientific literatures on the various aspects of tomato grafting including important steps of grafting, grafting methods, scion–rootstock interaction, and rootstock-derived changes in vegetative growth, fruit yield, and quality in grafted plants under different growing conditions. This review also highlights the economic significance of grafted tomato cultivation and offers discussion on the future thrust and technical issues that need to be addressed for the effective adoption of grafting.

The use of grafted vegetable plants can minimize problems associated with successive cropping and abiotic stress, and their enhanced vigour and root growth can provide yield benefits independently of mechanisms to tolerate abiotic stress conditions. Therefore, the application of grafting in crops of the Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae is currently acknowledged worldwide; however, two main challenges remain when grafted plants are used as a tool to improve abiotic stress tolerance. One is the selection of the ideal rootstock-scion combination that matches the actual or expected abiotic stress factors. The other is to improve our understanding of the underlying tolerance mechanisms, which may support the breeding of rootstocks that broaden the abiotic stress tolerance (robustness) of vegetable crops. This chapter presents the current knowledge on these two issues organized by individual abiotic stress factors, i.e. temperature (cold and heat), salinity, excessive and deficient nutrient availability, metalloids and heavy metals, adverse soil pH, drought, flooding and waterlogging.

Commercial cucurbits are commonly grafted onto interspecific Cucurbita hybrid rootstocks. The unproven paradigm is that hybrid rootstocks are more vigorous, resulting in better yields and high-level resistance. The objective of this study was to test the above hypothesis by comparing the performance of parental lines to that of derived F-1 hybrids as non-grafted Cucurbita accessions and as grafted melons, in experiments conducted in the greenhouse and in the field. The response to biotic stress was evaluated in with Rhizoctonia solani inoculated non-grafted Cucurbita parents and hybrids. In four out of the five hybrid-parent sets evaluated, susceptibility of the hybrid to R. solani was reduced or comparable to that of the parents. Grafted melon performance, expressed by plant development index, physiological wilt incidence and fruit yield, was evaluated in the field and in the greenhouse. Three hybrids out of the five tested in the field exhibited lower physiological wilt incidence than their parents. In three parent-hybrid sets, the male parent exhibited the worst rootstock performance and in one case, the male parent exhibited the lowest wilting. Fruit yield of grafted melons was highly correlated to wilt incidence. According to our results, the superiority of the hybrid over its parents and the benefit of the interspecific Cucurbita rootstock are not conclusive and varies among crosses and traits. The pathological, horticultural and economic benefits of this approach should therefore be further tested and reconsidered. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Macrophomina phaseolina is the causal agent of charcoal rot disease, which attacks many plant species, including those in the Cucurbitaceae. The fungus is frequently isolated from wilted melon and watermelon plants in Israel. Nevertheless, the role of M. phaseolina in disease progress and induction of wilting or yield reduction in watermelons and melons is not clear and not similar. Precise disease identification is important in order to suggest effective control measures. The objective of the current study was therefore to investigate disease progress and document its damage in watermelon and melon. Watermelons and melons were seeded in a field naturally infested with M. phaseolina and in the greenhouse in 10-L pots containing dune sand. Plants were inoculated at 35 days of age using two methods: drenching with macerated fungus around the crown area or stabbing the lower stem with an M. phaseolina-infested toothpick. Disease progress was documented in the field and in the greenhouse. Plant colonization and symptom development were more pronounced in melon than in watermelon. Large lesions and significant internal rotting developed in melon plants inoculated by the two methods in both field and greenhouse. In watermelon, however, no lesions or internal rotting were observed. Disease effect on melons and watermelons was observed only in the field, a short time before harvest, and was expressed as partial wilting and significant loss of shoot and fruit fresh weight similarly to disease appearance under natural infection. No wilting of melons or watermelons was observed in the greenhouse experiment. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tomato ‘Abigail’ (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and basil ‘Perry’ (Ocimum basilicum L.) were selected as model plants for selenium (Se) supplementation to evaluate a) effects of Se concentration in nutrient solution on Se content in different organs under fertigation, b) Se phytotoxicity threshold values, and c) mechanisms. Plants grown in a glasshouse were irrigated with 0, 1, 2, 5, and 10 mg Se/L in the first experiment, while with 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, and 1.5 mg Se/L in the second. Tomato plants accumulated Se linearly with rising Se concentrations, whereas accumulation in basil followed a saturation curve. Plants supplemented with 1.5 mg Se/L in the irrigation water accumulated 0.23 and 0.88 mg Se/g dry weight (DW) in tomato fruits and basil shoots, respectively. However, tomato roots, shoots and fruits DW were 56%, 36%, and 66% lower than in controls, respectively, and basil roots and shoots DW were 92% and 88% lower than in control, respectively. Calculated toxicity-threshold values were 1.27 mg Se/L for tomato and 0.44 mg Se/L for basil. Tomato crops were more tolerant than basil crops, although data suggested yield reduction at lower Se concentrations than those effecting biomass reductions. The results indicate that Se supplementation through drip irrigation may efficiently fortify tomato and basil. However, Se concentrations should be lower than 0.75 and 0.25 mg·L−1 for tomato and basil, respectively, to avoid yield reduction and possible Se phytotoxicity.

Semi-arid and arid regions are characterized by water scarcity and long dry summers. To ensure continued food supply and to combat desertification in these regions, marginal waters such as saline water and treated domestic sewage (effluent) are increasingly used for irrigation. These conditions may decrease plant growth and fruit yields of vegetables, which are relatively sensitive to environmental stress, and increase the accumulation in plant shoots of toxic elements which could enter the human food supply. In addition, the use of highly saline water for irrigation may increase the susceptibility of plants to soil and airborne pathogens. Experiments conducted in the field and in greenhouses show that grafting, a horticultural technique whereby tissues from one plant are inserted into those of another so that the two sets of vascular tissues may join, in general increases the tolerance of vegetable plants to salinity, high concentrations of toxic elements, and soilborne diseases. Moreover, the concentrations of toxic elements, such as B, Zn, Sr, Mn, Cu, Ti, Cr, Ni, Cd, and Na are lower in the tissues of grafted than in those of nongrafted plants. This difference is most likely a result of exclusion of toxic elements by the rootstock of the grafted plants. It is suggested that grafting could be a useful tool to increase the tolerance of vegetable plants to salt, toxic elements, and soilborne diseases, and to prevent the entry of contaminants and saline elements into the human food supply under arid and semi-arid conditions.

Melon plants grafted on Cucurbita rootstock may suffer from nutritional deficiencies due to reduced absorption and translocation of minerals to the foliage. Melon ( Cucumis melo L.) cv. 6023 was grafted onto two interspecific Cucurbita rootstocks ( Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moschata ) ‘TZ-148’ and ‘Gad’. Nongrafted melons were used as controls. Two fertilization field experiments were conducted in walk-in tunnels in the northern Arava valley of southern Israel. Two fertigation regimes were used: 1) standard and 2) enriched for magnesium (Mg; 150 mg·L −1 ), manganese (Mn; 7.5 mg·L −1 ), and zinc (Zn; 0.75 mg·L −1 ) to increase the concentrations of the lacking elements. The enriched fertigation significantly increased Mn, Zn, and Mg contents in the leaf tissue. Concentrations of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), iron (Fe), and boron (B) were unaffected by the enriched fertilizer. There were no deficiency symptoms in grafted plants supplied with the enriched fertilizer.

Fusarium root and stem rot caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis‐cucumerinum is a major disease in greenhouse cucumbers. Over the past decade, the disease has been documented in melon greenhouses in Greece, and recently it has been sporadically recorded in greenhouse melons in Israel. Variations in disease response were found among 41 melon accessions artificially inoculated with the pathogen: 10 accessions were highly susceptible (90–100% mortality), 23 exhibited an intermediate response (20–86%) and eight were resistant (0–4%). Two melon accessions – HEM (highly resistant) and TAD (partially resistant) – were crossed with the susceptible accession DUL. The responses of the three accessions and F1 crosses between the resistant and susceptible parents were evaluated. HEM contributed higher resistance to the F1 hybrid than TAD. Roots of susceptible and resistant accessions were 100 and 79% colonized, respectively, following artificial inoculation. However, only susceptible plants showed colonization of the upper plant tissues. Microscopic evaluation of cross sections taken from the crown region of the susceptible DUL revealed profuse fungal growth in the intercellular spaces of the parenchyma and in xylem vessels. In the resistant cultivar HEM, very little fungal growth was detected in the intercellular spaces of the parenchyma, and none in the xylem or any other vascular tissue. Finding resistant accessions may create an opportunity to study the genetics of resistance inheritance and to develop molecular markers that will facilitate breeding resistant melon cultivars.

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the influence of long-term cadmium (Cd) exposure (0, 25, or 50 µ m of Cd) on crop productivity, fruit quality, leaf chlorophyll content, fluorescence, and mineral composition in plants of tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Ikram), either nongrafted, self-grafted, or grafted onto rootstocks of tomato (Maxifort or Unifort) and eggplant (Black Beauty). Both moderate (25 µ m ) and high (50 µ m ) concentration of Cd in root environment considerably decreased the fruit yield and fruit number in response to Cd levels, whereas mean fruit weight decreased but was similar to both Cd supply levels. The fruit yield, shoot and root biomass, and leaf area (LA) were higher in plants grafted onto tomato rootstocks and especially onto Maxifort in comparison with nongrafted or self-grafted plants and especially grafted onto Black Beauty. The higher plant performance of tomato rootstock–grafted plants were related to higher chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic pigments concentration in leaves associated with better nutrient translocation and availability (higher Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Cu) in leaves. The content of Cd was also lower in leaves and fruits of Maxifort-grafted plants. Concerning fruit quality, especially peel color, toxicity symptoms, and Cd concentration, Black Beauty followed by Maxifort-grafted plants were better than the other grafting combinations. However, plants grafted onto Black Beauty rootstock resulted in lowest fruit yield and plant growth attributes due to lower nutrient uptake and translocation indicating some incompatibility reaction between Black Beauty rootstock and Ikram scion.

Most of the watermelons grown in the Mediterranean basin are grafted mainly on Cucurbita rootstocks which provide efficient protection against a wide range of soilborne pathogens. In certain cases, however, grafting may cause a reduction in fruit quality. Grafting watermelon on watermelon rootstocks may eliminate the fruit-quality issues resulting from the use of Cucurbita rootstocks. The response of 22 exotic watermelon accessions to Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporun f. sp. niveum, Fusarium crown rot caused by F. oxysporun f. sp. radices cucumerinum, the nematodes Meloidogyne javanica and Meloidogyne incognita was evaluated in pot experiments. The response to Macrophomina phaseolina and Monosporascus cannonballus was evaluated under field conditions. The screened accessions exhibited various responses to the tested diseases. The findings indicate the possibility of breeding watermelon rootstocks with high levels of resistance to several diseases and no negative effect on fruit quality. The most promising accessions are PI 457916, PI 459075 and BDA. In addition, phytopathological data on such a germplasm collection can serve as a tool for studying the resistance mechanisms and the genetics of disease resistances. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Salinity is a major problem in arid and semi-arid regions, where irrigation is essential for crop production. Major sources of salinity in these regions are salt-rich irrigation water and improper irrigation management. The effects of salinity on crops include inhibition of growth and production, and ultimately, death. There are two main approaches to alleviating the adverse effects of salinity on agricultural crops: (i) development of salt-tolerant cultivars by screening, conventional breeding or genetic engineering, and (ii) the traditional approach dealing with treatments and management of the soil, plants, irrigation water, and plant environment. The success of the first approach is limited under commercial growing conditions, because salt-tolerance traits in plants are complex. The present paper reviews, analyzes, and discusses the following traditional approaches: (i) improving the plant environment, (ii) exploiting interactions between plant roots and bacteria and fungi, and (iii) treating the plant directly. With respect to improving the plant environment, we review the possibilities of decreasing salt content and concentration and improving the nutrient composition and concentration in the root zone, and controlling the plant's aerial environment. The interactions between salt-tolerant bacteria or mycorrhizal fungi and root systems, and their effects on salt-tolerance, are demonstrated and discussed. Discussed treatments aimed at alleviating salinity hazard by treating the plant directly include priming of seeds and young seedlings, using proper seed size, grafting onto tolerant rootstocks, applying non-enzymatic antioxidants, plant growth regulators or compatible solutes, and foliar application of nutrients. It can be concluded from the present review that the traditional approaches provide promising means for alleviating the adverse effects of salinity on agricultural crops.

Watermelon grafting is on the rise worldwide as an agrotechnology aimed at preventing soilborne-pest damage. Grafting watermelon on Cucurbita rootstocks may negatively affect fruit size, shape and quality. However, grafting watermelon on watermelon rootstocks can prevent these negative effects. Twenty-one exotic watermelon accessions were evaluated as potential sources for watermelon rootstock breeding programs. Most of the watermelon accessions tested in the field as rootstocks for the mini-watermelon 'Extazy' gave yields similar to the nongrafted and self-grafted 'Extazy'. Four accessions: WAN, PI457916, PI307750 and PI307609, produced significantly lower yields. The accessions BOA, CON, MAL, PI 296341 and PI307609 were selected for detailed evaluation due to their previously found tolerance to soilborne pathogens. No difference was found in the total fruit quality index between nongrafted 'Extazy' fruit and 'Extazy' fruit from plants grafted on the different watermelon accessions. Fruit weight from plants grafted on Cucurbita rootstocks was higher than that from plants grafted on 'Extazy' or on the other watermelon accessions. No bitter flavor and no cucurbitacin were present in 'Extazy' fruits of plants grafted on bitter fruit watermelon accessions. Thus the examined exotic watermelon accessions did not adversely affect fruit quality and can be used as a basic germplasm for watermelon rootstock breeding. The most promising accession is PI296341. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Over the past century, Israel was a focal point for the improvement of local cucurbit landraces and introduction of cucurbit germplasm. Some improved open-pollinated cucurbit cultivars developed in Israel became established as market types of considerable economic importance far beyond its borders. The origin and history of these cultivars is not widely known and therefore the purpose of the present work was to collect and compare the records relevant to the development of these cultivars, and to describe them more fully. The four economically most important cultivars originated through mass-selection by amateur breeders and were named after their respective farming communities. The ‘Bet Alfa’ cucumber (Cucumis sativus) was selected from a local landrace and introduced in 1936. The ‘Malali’ watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) originated as a rogue in a local landrace and was commercialized around 1940. The ‘Ananas Yoqne‘am’ melon (Cucumis melo) was selected from a local landrace and commercialized around 1950. The ‘Ha‘Ogen’ melon was selected from a cultivar introduced from Hungary and commercialized in the 1950s. The outstanding fruit quality of these four cultivars resulted in their widespread planting in Israel and neighboring countries. Moreover, the quality of the cucumber and melon cultivars inspired successive improvements, notably introgression of disease resistance and development of hybrids, by Israeli breeder-geneticists. The ever-increasing demand for their high-quality fruits established as international market types the Bet Alfa cucumber, the Ananas Yoqne‘am melon, and the Ha‘Ogen melon and its derivative, the Galia melon, and each is intensively bred today by local and multinational seed companies.