Quantitative analysis of biochemical traits in cucurbits and their association with field resistance to insect pests

Developing sustainable pest management strategies that reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides requires an understanding of the complex interactions between plant biochemistry and pest response. This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical composition of six cucurbitaceous plant species, cucumber, pumpkin, bitter gourd, bottle gourd, squash, and sponge gourd, by analyzing their moisture, ash, protein, fat, and fiber content and investigating potential correlations between these biochemical factors and insect pest infestation, specifically Aulacophora foveicollis L. and Bactrocera cucurbitae C. populations. Field experiments revealed that A. foveicollis primarily preferred sponge gourd as its host, while bitter gourd remained uninfested. In contrast, B. cucurbitae exhibited a preference for bitter gourd among the tested cucurbitaceous species. Proximate analysis showed that cucumber had the highest moisture content (94.50%), while pumpkin had the highest ash content (0.80%). Squash contained the highest crude protein (1.80%), whereas bitter gourd had the highest crude fiber (1.04%). The highest crude fat content (0.63%) was recorded in pumpkin. Correlation analysis indicated that A. foveicollis was positively correlated with moisture, fat, and protein but negatively correlated with fiber and ash. Similarly, B. cucurbitae showed a positive correlation with moisture and protein but a negative correlation with fat, fiber, and ash. This study concludes that cucurbits exhibit varying levels of susceptibility to insect pests, and infestation can be influenced by the biochemical composition of the plant. These findings highlight the importance of understanding plant biochemistry for developing effective pest management strategies.