Data and code from: Wild sources for host plant resistance to Bemisia tabaci in watermelon: insights from behavioral and chemical analyses

This dataset includes all raw data and statistical software code required to reproduce the analyses and graphics in the manuscript:

McKenzie-Reynolds, P., I. A. Owolabi, G. R. Burke, A. Levi, A. M. Simmons, and Q. D. Read. 2025. Wild sources for host plant resistance to Bemisia tabaci in watermelon: insights from behavioral and chemical analyses. Crop Protection, in review. Citation pending. (ARIS log 426869)

Whitefly infestations, primarily caused by Bemisia tabaci, pose a significant threat to watermelon production, leading to severe yield losses and increased reliance on chemical pesticides. We did a study to evaluate the potential of the desert watermelon Citrullus colocynthis and other Citrullus species genotypes for resistance to B. tabaci using oviposition assays, vertical Y-tube olfactometer assays, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of plant volatiles. This dataset contains all the raw and processed data and statistical software code to reproduce the analyses and graphics in the associated manuscript. Our statistical analysis includes Bayesian generalized linear mixed models fit to the oviposition and Y-tube olfactometer datasets, with posterior distributions of the model parameters used to estimate means for each genotype and test hypotheses comparing them. In this dataset we have included CSV files of the raw data, R statistical software code contained in RMarkdown notebooks, HTML rendered output of the notebooks including all figures, tables, and textual description of the results, and pre-fit model objects so that the notebooks may be rendered without refitting the models. The findings in the accompanying manuscript provide critical insights into resistance mechanisms in C. colocynthis and advance sustainable watermelon production, reducing chemical pesticide dependence and enhancing economic returns for growers.

A full description of all files included in the dataset is found in README.pdf.